And It's Beautiful
by Thundercatroar
Summary: It's date night, what could possibly go wrong? Evidentially, a lot. Korrasami is not implied, it kicks you right in the face, with a delicious side of Kyalin.
1. Kiss of Life

The Legend of Korra was created by Michael Dante Dimartino, Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Viacom Inc. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

 _Left My Heart in Republic City_ was composed by Jeremy Zuckerman and owned by Viacom Inc. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

 _Lulu's Back in Town_ was composed by Al Dubin, Harry Warren, and owned by Warner Brothers Inc. No Infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

The title of this story comes from the song _And It's Beautiful_ , composed by A. Russell, performed by Bah Samba, and found on the album Sun Dance, mixed by Nicholas Matar. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

The title of this chapter, _Kiss of Life_ , was written by Andrew Hale and performed by Sade. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

This story is rated **M** for Mature.

* * *

And It's Beautiful

Chapter One: Kiss of Life

The sun had already been up for a couple of hours and after Tenzin waited for as long as he could, he went in search of his pupil only to find his wife instead.

She was wearing her usual robes, hair in a bun, but for some reason wasn't wearing any footwear, and even though she acknowledged his presence with a glance over her shoulder, she turned back to look down in silence.

Joining her, instead of calling down to his charge for meditation, Tenzin and Pema stood in the ornate pavilion on the edge of the western cliffs of Air Temple Island watching two figures move on the beach below them in the distance.

One of them was a large, powerful white beast enthusiastically jumping around, playfully splashing in the lapping waves on the shoreline, snapping at a stick in its mistress' hand.

The second a small, but powerful bender who finally gave in to the whim of her best friend and winged the stick in her hand as far as she could, the polar bear dog leaving wet splashes of salty water mixed with sand in its wake. "That was a pretty good throw." Tenzin said.

As the young woman swept her hands over her speckled clothing to clean it off, Pema made an observation of her own. "Do you know what time Korra got in this _morning_?"

With a twinge of guilt because he _did_ , Tenzin nodded. "Yes, I do, but things have been quiet as of late, and outside of her duties she's been so carefree, I didn't want to cast a pall over her happiness with a lecture."

She _knew_ Korra's absences weren't over some boy, but still concerned, Pema rationalized, "I'm glad she's happier now too, but I don't like her going off by herself like that, staying out at _all_ hours of the night with no one knowing where she is, and coming in _next day_ late." She ended emphatically, "It's not safe for _anyone_ to do that, let alone the Avatar, and I don't want anything _more_ happening to her that we can avoid."

Tenzin turned his head to the side, "I didn't like it either at first, but," Pema's eyebrow twitched upwards at the exception. "We must remember that Korra is an adult now and we need to respect her privacy. She's been through much the past four years, and she deserves to enjoy the same freedom she's fought for and earned for others." With incredulous disbelief, Pema gave Tenzin a look of suspicion because he was understanding yes, but not _that_ understanding, so he _must_ know something about Korra's nighttime adventures she didn't. The air-bending master rubbed the back of his neck and shaved head as Pema eyed him suspiciously. "I also sent a couple members of the White Lotus undercover to tail Korra and see what she was up to."

"Thank goodness!" Relieved, Pema questioned with impatient interest, "They found?"

Tenzin shook his head, preparing for an outburst. "Korra's been frequenting a bar on the east side called _The Dragon's Scale_." Before Pema could protest and threaten lectures for the Avatar or worse, Tenzin quickly added as he raised his hands in a calming gesture, "She's perfectly safe going there, the bartender and owner is a member of the Order of the White Lotus, and he was an initiate of Grand Lotus Iroh himself when he was around Korra's age. Though there have been no incidents, he's been looking after her safety while she indulges."

With true concern, Pema asked, "She hasn't been drinking has she?" With conviction, she nodded her head and pointed towards the beach, her eyebrows migrating progressively downwards with each word pronounced. "Avatar or not, Korra is _still_ underage and if she _has_ , I'm going to give that young lady a _darn_ good talking to and tear that booze slinger a brand new,"

Tenzin's eyes widened as he shook his head, secretly grateful it wasn't him she was angry with.

The air bending master hadn't ever heard his gentle wife offer to tear anyone a new _anything_ for all the time he'd known her, not even _him_ , and she'd given birth to four of his children with little to no anesthetic. "No, dear, there's no need for any of that. Korra doesn't drink alcohol when she's there, and even if she asked, the owner of the establishment gave me his word that neither he nor his wife would serve her."

With horror, Pema shrieked as Tenzin motioned with his hands for her to lower her volume. "But _still_ , the Avatar shouldn't be hanging around a dive in the seediest section of Republic City she can find!" She made a rolling motion with her hands. "What if someone hurts Korra, tries to _kill_ her like the Red Lotus did, or the papers got wind of it?"

"Believe me, Pema, nobody there is going to hurt Korra, she's extremely popular with all the patrons and staff, so there's no need for you to worry about that. Besides, the Equalist movement is over, Zaheer is locked away, the rest of his inner circle is dead, and the papers along with the tabloids are more interested in the reconstruction of Republic City, as well as the upcoming show trial of The Great Uniter rather than the Avatar at the moment."

Tenzin sighed, a tiny smile teasing the edges of his lips. "As far as Korra's activities go, the worst things they've observed her doing when she goes in the place is eat mounds of barbecued ribs, drink gallons of fruit punch, and participate in belching contests. Afterwards, she challenges anyone foolish enough to take her up on it to bouts of arm wrestling, and talks at length about her girlfriend in painstaking detail with anyone who will listen, complete with pictures _and_ newspaper clippings." Tenzin thoughtfully amended, "Not necessarily in that order."

Relieved, Pema shuffled her bare feet on the smooth wooden floor, privy to events that her husband was not a few weeks prior.

* * *

That evening as Korra and Kya healed everyone injured during the battle for the city; Mako, Suyin, and Lin's injuries being amongst the worst; Pema noticed that neither Asami _nor_ the Avatar could keep their eyes from the other.

When one would look, the other would change the direction of their gaze, and when the other felt it was safe, they would glance and then stare more, repeating the cycle for a little over an hour.

At her insistence of being the last person in triage, when it came time for Asami's cuts and bruises to be addressed, to Kya's ill hidden amusement, Korra _insisted_ she treat her personally.

Korra's face flushed as she helped Asami remove her clothing from the affected areas, but when the Avatar laid hands on the Sato girl, her voice was reassuring, and the curative touches given were light caresses compared to the semi-rough handling and playful insults the fire-bender endured during _his_ course of treatment. It even seemed that the water around her hands somehow glowed brighter than it did with the others while Korra worked Asami's wounds.

Frankly, they couldn't have been more obvious, but there was too much commotion for everyone to pick apart what was transpiring between the two, but then, it seemed they didn't quite realize either.

She noticed though, Jinora certainly did too, with a knowing smile that Pema wasn't quite sure she liked out of her fourteen year old girl or not, Suyin seemed bemused by it all as well, and even the chief of police seemed to rumble the unwitting interaction between Asami and Korra.

Of course, that wasn't the only interesting show in town by _any_ stretch of the imagination.

As Kya's glowing hands gently brushed around Lin's aching head, sore neck, naked back, and then bruised forearms with the same delicate care the Avatar displayed, Lin fisted the towel more tightly over her bare chest while glancing around at everyone in attendance.

When Kya's chin rested on Lin's shoulder to reach a difficult area and lightly brushed her neck though, the chief's eyes widened and her face flushed while looking in the healer's direction peripherally.

Kya's only response was a slight smirk, and though the moment lasted for only a few seconds, the healer's boldness and Lin's reaction to it was more than enough to arouse more than a passing interest in the goings on between the two in Suyin, and as she raised her eyebrow with a suspicious smile, as though she'd seen her older sister for the first time in her entire life, Chief Beifong focused her attention back to the wall in front of her looking somewhat flustered, her face redder than a fire nation rug.

After fixing the best meal she could with what food she had for such a large gathering and no electricity, everyone sat in the dining hall eating by candlelight, recalling their individual and collective acts of bravery, with Meelo and especially Bumi's retellings becoming more elaborate and dangerous with each revision.

Mako, Lin, and Bolin would have been there also, but after their healing session and a short rest, they left the island and were away in the city under the pretense of meeting with Republic City officials to appraise the damage done to it along with the Avatar.

In truth, they arranged a meeting with a crime scene technician who owed Lin a favor and a deputy coroner to sift through the tangle of collapsed buildings and spirit vines, searching for the remains of the dragonfly hummingbird craft Kuvira crushed to spare Asami the sight of it _and_ the recovery of her father's remains.

The detective and chief tried to sneak away, but thanks to an accidental slip of the tongue by Bumi, Asami learned of their secret agenda, and caught up with them at the dock just as they were leaving. Demanding to go as well, when refused, she claimed family business, and that they had no right to stop her, but when they attempted to further dissuade her, the engineer became irrational and furious, with her ex boyfriend receiving much of the venom.

Before the shouting became worse, Lin intervened by gently placing her hands on Asami's shoulders, giving the excellent argument that that the area was a crime scene, explaining that no other personnel except Republic City police and technicians could be allowed inside the area because of the chain of evidence.

Everything Lin said was the truth, and with that, reluctantly, Asami agreed to allow them to leave without her.

Later that evening, after their return, Korra shared a look with the others and then walked towards Asami, presumably to take her to a more private area to speak to her about the events in town. Korra didn't get an opportunity to though, as throngs of airbenders surrounded the Avatar en masse, and pulled her onto their shoulders to carry her to the dining area, forcing her into a seat of honor at the head of one of the tables instead.

For what everyone had just been through, the mood was remarkably light, all but Asami's, who picked over a sparsely filled bowl looking thoroughly alone, adrift in a sea of people. In the upheaval, she had been so busy caring for everyone overall, that only when she had a chance to sit and reflect upon the day herself, did Pema realize the true gravity of the girl's individual suffering. Asami _literally_ watched her father die that day, murdered by Kuvira, and she couldn't imagine the horror of the sight or the wrenching sadness that she must feel.

Finding the other half of the equation in question amongst the festive atmosphere of the gathered, Korra was uncharacteristically silent as well; a grim countenance on her face, and her eyes focused only on Asami, looking as though _her_ heart could break along with her best friend's at any moment. The Avatar looked as though she wanted to rise and console her friend, but couldn't move because of the mass of celebrants crushed around her.

It wasn't everyday Bum-Ju could be cajoled into modeling one of the loud, ill fitting sweaters Bumi knit for him without much of a fuss.

Pema surmised that she stayed as long as she did only to be a good guest, and quietly Asami slipped away from her place at the table. A credit to the skillful stealth that served the Avatar and her friends so well, Asami left by the side door undetected by the others, with Korra the only other person noticing her retreat, leaving her to shift uneasily in her seat as Meelo and Bumi flung their arms around her to make another toast to her heroism.

Pema got up and left the dining room to look for the Sato girl in the hopes of offering some sort of solace, but as she roamed the hallways in the darkness with only one candle to light her way, Asami was nowhere to be found.

Just as she was ready to give up the search, she heard a familiar voice coming from the adjacent hallway, explaining grave matters as gently as possible.

"The craft is in the police impound yard as evidence, and your father is secured. We all served as witnesses to the investigating official, so you won't need to come downtown to," Korra's voice fell off, unable to finish the sentence. "Martial law is instituted in the city until further notice, so civilians aren't allowed within city limits anyway; the only reason why Bo was allowed to stay is because Lin deputized him, the police are shorthanded, and they need his earthbending skills for the emergency."

Asami nodded. "Thank you, I owe you all so much for doing this for me." Judging from the mood the exhausted group was in when they returned, Pema was glad that Lin wouldn't let the poor girl go, and it seemed for all her zeal in the afternoon, Asami sounded grateful she didn't too. "I need to apologize to Mako and Lin too; they must think I'm _awful_." She caged her fingers over her face in shame. "I was so ungrateful to them this afternoon, _especially_ Mako. I shouldn't have been so insistent and,"

Korra interrupted the engineer, gently grabbing her shoulders. "Asami, we're a team, you'd do it for any of us, and you were upset, after all of this, _anyone_ would be. You felt the need to go because you love your father and wanted to take care of your family, and when you found out you couldn't, you were angry with the situation and not at them, it's just that they were the only thing there to be angry with. Believe me, Mako understands what you're going through, and so does Lin, we all love and care about you, Asami, and after everything that you've done for all of us, it was an honor to help you when _you_ needed it, you don't owe anyone _a thing_."

A nervous action, Pema didn't envy the Avatar as she rubbed her forearm and spoke gently. "Lin said that as soon as the information is recorded by the proper authorities, and the all clear is given, you can make arrangements to claim your father. Since your secretary is city side, she gave the examiner's office her contact number and has already volunteered to do that for you."

Asami's only acknowledgement to the difficult news was, "I know, I-I've already spoken to her about it tonight over the radio."

Korra smiled at the unwavering loyalty they all witnessed that afternoon. "All she wanted was to get to your side. We all tried our best to get her here for you, but the docks are blocked by several sunken battleships, air traffic has been suspended, Kyoshi bridge was damaged by the advance of machinery, main street is blocked by a whole division of mech suits, and the island has restricted access until further notice because of security issues." Korra's disgust was evident as she explained, "If General Iroh were there, it wouldn't have even been an issue, but Iteq was charged with safeguarding the harbor instead, and he flat _refused_ to let her in, even after we all vouched for her at the docks."

Despite the gravity of the day, when it happened, it took everything Pema had to not burst out laughing at the entertaining spectacle.

When name dropping and the fame card didn't work, the resulting ultimatums from Asami's employee for the general's refusal of her admission to the island were profanity laden and rather graphic. She didn't begin to stop yelling like a drunken sailor on leave or making threats to Iteq's physical well-being, with of all things, a large, golden metal fan, until her brother in law showed up.

The deafening silence at their recognition of one another after their years of separation was all telling, their exploits together were the things of legend, and with a small smile at what was probably an interesting unseen history between the two, Pema could easily see the attraction, at least on Bumi's part. To his credit, Bumi liked strong women, Pema gathered by his exposure to Toph and his own mother, Katara as examples, and as in the case with Toph and Katara, it seemed that Asami's secretary was another woman not to be taken lightly, _or_ trifled with either.

It also seemed that despite the rumor she overheard, Iteq was a skilled strategist after all, because while Bumi and his irate acquaintance were distracted by their unexpected reunion, the disliked general felt it in his best interests to beat a shrewd retreat.

Korra shrugged apologetically. "All the ferries that survived the attack have been commandeered by the United Forces for transport and clean-up by authorized personnel only, so she couldn't even come in on one of those." Despite the gravity of the situation, Korra injected hope. "I spoke with General Iroh later in private, and he said he'd be _more_ than happy to smuggle her to the trade district docks and look the other way if I wound up there on Naga to bring her back here from an underwater approach." Confidently she ended, "I talked to Tenzin about it, and he said that if it was found out, anyone who had a problem could talk to him."

Asami shook her head. "No, I wouldn't want you and Iroh to get in trouble or have Tenzin put on the spot; he has enough to deal with while coaching Raiko through this mess without having that idiotic general on his case too." She shook her head. "Before the siege, I asked her to take my staff, Yin, the family, Wu, and anybody else they ran into to the lake house and take care of them there." Asami shrugged. "They should all be okay for awhile until things settle down, it's isolated, secure, and not many people know about it. They're better off there while all this is going on anyway." Korra gave Asami a questioning look. "There is a generator on site because I _knew_ one way or another that the grid would be down, so while Varrick and I were occupied building the dragonfly hummingbird ships, I had Lee stock the place with enough fuel, food, water, and other supplies to last a few weeks before the earth army got here. I thought that if we all had to bug out of the city and formulate a plan Z or something, we'd have a safe place to do it, or as a last resort, a staging area to have what we would all need to escape the Republic altogether."

Korra placed her hand on Asami's shoulder and smiled, truly impressed with the resourcefulness her friend. "You think of everything."

With the comment, Asami's eyes lowered.

After a period of silence, and knowing Asami was well cared for at the moment, she should have left then, but instead Pema blew out her candle, moved closer, and strained her ears to hear what had become Korra and Asami's catchphrase for one another.

"Are you okay, 'Sami?"

Pema's eyebrow rose. "A nickname? _That_ was new."

"Spirits what a dumb thing to say." Korra muttered in disappointment to herself before looking back into Asami's eyes. "I _know_ you aren't okay. I don't even know what to say to you, there's nothing that I _can_ say that would even _begin_ to help." There was a moment when Asami's lips parted to speak, but then she looked away.

Pema watched Korra present a small item in her hand wrapped in a leaf, thoughtfully offering it to her friend. "Here, you barely touched your dinner. I know you don't feel like it, but you need to eat something to keep your strength up, healer's orders." Pema was sure that endearing grin of Korra's was on her face when she dipped her head to look into Asami's downcast eyes as she untied the green bundle and spread the leaves open before handing it to her. "Look, it's even happy to see you, Miss Sato."

Despite her aching sadness, Asami chuckled as she took one of the sweet buns Pema made for Meelo in her hand, complete with a happy face painted on it. "Only _you_ could make me laugh at a time like this, Korra."

Korra sighed heavily and slowly raised her hand, seemingly with the intention to take Asami's, but thought better of it and nervously rubbed the back of her neck instead. "I know you probably want to be left alone, being around a bunch of people after all of this can be overwhelming. I understand, believe me."

When Asami didn't answer, Korra's back straightened in the manner it did when she summoned the resolve to do something difficult, then reached out and took Asami's hand tenderly. "I just want you to know that it's like you said when you took care of me," The Avatar studied the engineer's fingers as she coupled them in hers. "If you want to talk or, or _anything_ , I'm here for you, whatever you need, for however long." Korra wasn't making a statement as much as she was a promise as she looked back into Asami's eyes, hers full of resolve. "You know that no matter what, I'll _always_ be here for you don't you?"

It was the truth, and Asami nodded in recognition as Pema's grip on her unlit candle tightened when Korra lifted her fingers to lightly tuck a stray lock of the heartbroken girl's hair behind her ear, and then touched her forehead to Asami's when she began to weep again.

"Oh, _Asami_ ," Korra whispered, "I'm so sorry." Korra gently cupped a hand on Asami's neck, and then placed her curled fingers on her cheek, stroking it lovingly. "For everything." She paused, and then confessed, "I can't undo all the bad things that have ever happened to you, but spirits I wish I _could_." Korra's forehead met Asami's as she declared, "I would roll back time in a heartbeat and change everything just so you wouldn't be in pain anymore." As Asami's wet eyes looked down into the Avatar's, her expression changed, and with genuine, heartfelt honesty, Korra swore with all her heart, "I'd do _anything_ for you."

A tear ran down Pema's cheek and she had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound after Korra confessed to Asami the depth of the love she felt for her.

Korra raised her hand to her friend's face, gently swiping away tears that were flowing down the engineer's cheeks with her thumb, and then drew her into her strong arms for a tight hug, rubbing comforting strokes on her back as she did. The embrace lasted for a few moments, but Korra soon released her friend, holding her forearms in her hands as she quietly spoke, "I'm going to leave you alone so that you can get some rest, but your room is right next to mine, okay? If you need anything, I don't care what time it is or even if you have to wake me up, just come in and get me, or knock on the door or something, alright?"

Asami nodded, and thankfully, she thought she was alone with Korra or the revelation may have taken longer than it did or never taken place at all, but from the darkness of the adjacent hallway, Pema watched Asami briefly deliberate, and then lightly grab Korra's wrist as she turned to climb the stairwell leading to the women's dormitories. "Korra, please wait."

The moment dragged out for what seemed an eternity as they searched each other's eyes, and since there was no power, the only illumination they had to judge the other's expression by was ambient moonlight and the beaming yellow spirit portal Korra inadvertently created when she and Kuvira blew the center of downtown to hell.

In their hearts, both of them _had_ to know the true extent of how they felt for one another, but even after their short, but loving conversation, neither of the shy women had the courage to utter the first syllable.

Finally, to Pema's amazement, not to mention the Avatar's, the admission was surprisingly silent as Asami cautiously stepped forward, held out a shaking hand to caress Korra's uninjured cheek, drawing closer to pull Korra's face upwards to place one gentle, fleeting kiss on her lips. Backing an arm's length away, looking to her side, Asami seemed to have been as shocked she'd done it as Korra.

"I, I'm sorry, it's just that so much has happened, we all almost got killed today, and if I don't do this now, I _never_ will." Asami found resolve and then explained herself. "I can't stand being with you all the time and hiding how I really feel."

She faced her friend once more while taking a deep breath, steeling her nerves for what she was about to say. Exhaling through pursed lips, it looked as though after the next statement there was absolutely _no_ backtracking or any excuse available to dismiss what she was going to utter.

"I'm in love with you."

Even then, after putting everything on the line, Asami muttered an out to the woman she was obviously devoted to, looking downwards as she worried her hands, more tears falling and her voice breaking as she quickly blurted the rest of her thoughts before losing nerve. "I _know_ this is sudden, a-and a shock, but I've felt this way for a _long_ time, Korra, and I understand if you don't feel the same way for me that I do for you, I _promise_ I will respect that boundary." Asami expressed the greatest fear borne of her confession, her eyes never leaving the floor. " _Please_ just... I can't _bear_ the thought of you being disgusted with me, or _hating_ me for loving you like this, but I have to tell you the truth because I've been lying to myself, _you_ , and I can't do it anymore." With shuddered breath, Asami ended with hopeful sorrow decorating her voice, gazing into the Avatar's eyes. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had in my entire life and I _can't_ lose you _too_."

Pema empathized with the nervous girl, for just as Asami faced an uncertain future based upon a single answer, she had done the same when she confessed her love for Tenzin.

The moment seemed to draw out for the three of them, Pema hopeful that the weeks of longing in their eyes for one another she witnessed would finally culminate in an affirmation of love, Asami frightened but hopeful, and Korra looking stricken to the core.

At least Asami didn't have long to wait for an answer to the slow, painful burn in her heart as Tenzin did Pema.

Many were the times that Pema watched Korra snatch Ikki, Jinora, Meelo, _and_ their father up in her strong arms during a moment of unbridled joy, nearly crushing them.

It was to Pema's surprise then, when the Avatar, master of all elements, who at times also had a tendency to forget her own strength, suddenly scooped Asami Sato into her arms, gently cradling her as she brought her up.

A moment passed, Asami hopefully searching her eyes, and then Korra returned the chaste kiss she received from the clever engineer with one as equally tender, though thoroughly consuming.

Pema did think it prudent to make herself scarce when Korra's grip tightened, and Asami wrapped her free arm around Korra as their kiss deepened. Losing her grip on the sweet bun to twine her fingers through Korra's mussed hair as it fell to the floor, neither Asami nor the Avatar bothered to recover it, or stop their affectionate, silent discourse long enough for Korra to carry them both up the steps.

At least the sweet bun wasn't wasted; one of the lemurs swept inside from the window ledge and devoured it before Meelo, Rohan, or Pabu found it.

* * *

Despite the fact that this was the modern age, and the written saga was all but dead, Korra and Asami's tale, and the dramatic events leading up to this point in their relationship was worthy of one, much like the classic telling of the tragic love affair between Avatar Kyoshi and her beloved Yasu, the woman sent to kill her.

In hindsight, Pema felt guilty for her silent witness, the moment should have been a beautiful moment of discovery meant only for Korra and Asami, but she would never betray what she saw that night to them or anyone else as long as she lived.

Most people in the world saw Korra only as the Avatar, thinking her sole purpose in life was to hold the world together, serve others selflessly, and do nothing else. Korra had fulfilled all those duties, and then some, but people tended to forget that the Avatar was not some invincible god, but human, and she craved a life of her own, just as they did, falling victim to the same emotions, feeling confusion, sadness, fear, pain, hunger, joy, happiness, love, and desire.

Like all kids her age, Korra thought she was all grown up when she first came to Republic City, but in reality, she was still just a kid, a naive teenager, and even though she did date that fire-bending boy awhile, Korra led a sheltered life growing up. As such, she had little opportunity or time to learn who she was outside of her role as the Avatar, or have any of the life experiences that ordinary people took for granted.

Remembering the four long years of trials the poor girl had been through almost from the moment she set foot there, the worst of it culminating with the torture and near death Korra nearly suffered at the hands of the Red Lotus, Pema's expression softened. "Like you said, she's been through a lot, and it _is_ nice to see her so happy for a change. "Playfully pointing at her husband, Pema reasoned, "If _you're_ comfortable with Korra's off island activities, what can _I_ say about them?" With a fond smile for the young woman, she admitted, "I'm glad she and Asami have finally gotten together, they're good for each other and they have a lot in common." Tenzin nodded and with a faraway look Pema ended with bit of sadness, "Before you know it, Korra will want to leave here."

Until that moment, Tenzin never truly pondered the possibility of anything taking the Avatar away from Air Temple Island and his family. Over the past four years, he and Pema had come to see Korra as a third daughter and he was floored by the notion of letting go. "But this _is_ her home."

Pema, understanding her husband's sentiments, and loving Korra the same way as he, placed one hand on Tenzin's forearm, the other on the railing, and then drew in a deep breath of salty air while closing her eyes. "Just as the southern water tribe will always be Korra's home, Air Temple Island will always be her home too." With a loving look towards her husband, Pema took his hand. "Though Korra loves us and she'll always be here for us, she's growing up, and is going to want to be closer to Asami. When that time comes we need to let her know that it's okay for her to go and live her life the way _she_ wants to, not the way the world, or we expect."

Tenzin was going to respond, but when distracted by a motorboat speeding across the inlet from the mainland towards the wide expanse of beach, he became concerned.

Only a few people knew about the beach on that side of the island, it couldn't be seen from the city, and why anyone would head there instead of the main dock had Tenzin worried. Watching and wondering if the visitor had sinister motives, or if it was a reporter come to disturb the Avatar, the air master made to launch himself off the railing of the pavilion to put a stop to it. As he was about to do so, a young man in beige uniform and jaunty headwear stepped out of the boat. After handing something small to Korra, it seemed she was signing for it, and after a respectful tip of his hat, just as quickly as he appeared he left.

Though they were a good distance away, Tenzin and Pema watched as Korra tried to open what seemed to be an envelope gently, but in her zeal, wound up tearing small shreds from it that fell to the sand beneath her feet. Disregarding them where they fell, Naga ran back towards her mistress with her wet stick and dropped it at Korra's feet.

Wrapped up in whatever it was in her hands, the distracted girl simply picked up the driftwood and then air bent it a far distance away from herself so that she would have a moment alone to read the note as she walked. As Korra did, she smelled it for some odd reason, and then took what seemed like a long drag with a smile and then read some more, leaning her head back as she laughed.

Just as soon as she started leafing through the pages though, Korra stopped dead in her tracks, and after a few more moments of reading, placed a hand over her mouth, and then fell down to the sand on her knees, her head bowed low, touching her lips to the paper, and then swiping something from her cheeks.

Tenzin and Pema looked at one another in concern at the state of the girl, wondering what had happened, but as they moved to go down to the beach to check on her, Korra suddenly shot from the ground, fifty feet or so by Tenzin's estimation, twirling above the ground with a gigantic smile on her face.

Though they were several hundred feet away, Korra's jubilant, "Whoo Hoooo!" and the wind generated from her youthful exuberance easily carried to them, probably halfway across the island, actually.

Making a deep crater in the sand as she landed, Korra scrambled out of it on her hands and feet as her furry friend might and then whistled for Naga. Running alongside the polar bear dog, with an effortless leap, Korra mounted the animal bareback as it galloped, gripping its fur tightly for a thundering ride back to the compound.

Pema gave Tenzin a surprised look when he announced with a smile on his face, "I'm not a betting man, but I believe it would be safe to wager that Lulu's back in town."

* * *

In the grand scheme of things, it was a short measure of time and she had only been gone to Zaofu for two weeks, but her absence felt like an unforgiving eternity as she frequently found her thoughts occupied by memories of a few weeks ago.

More specifically, with whom she shared that time _with_.

Consequently, it made the work she had to do dreadfully difficult to focus on.

Suyin was sympathetic to her plight, having caught her daydreaming _several_ times instead of paying attention to the droning negotiations she was there for, but still, cared _just_ enough to find perverse humor in her lovesick suffering and playfully teased her at any opportunity given in private.

She should have been irritated with the matriarch Beifong for her breathtaking ability to recall all of her countless hair flips, the batting eyelashes, and loving glances paired with her concern for the Avatar's safety the first time they were there, with Korra being none the wiser about the former three. Su was a good friend though, and at the time she had a boon to ask of her too, so shrewdly, Asami took it all in stride.

After another few days of tedious negotiations though, they were getting nowhere fast and she was ready to go home regardless of the outcome.

It didn't help that her room was _right_ next to the newlywed Varricks' chambers, and during the long evenings, she tried with varying degrees of success tuning out _the thing_ they indulged in doing at all hours of the night.

Apparently the couple enjoyed role play, which was fine, but to say the cacophony was noisy would do the aural extravaganzas an injustice because it sounded like they pounded holes in the walls and destroyed Suyin's furniture on a nightly basis.

Asami never thought it possible, but the experience was far _worse_ than her entire sophomore year at college, and she spent most of _that_ time camping out in the student union, library, or the hallway a respectful distance away from her dormitory room door, summarily exiled by her older and somewhat promiscuous roommate.

All in all, she was truly happy for their joy together, but Asami needed sleep, and sometimes even a train has to stop at some point. How Zhu Li wasn't pregnant yet was a total mystery to her, because it wasn't for lack of trying.

Asami _was_ indebted to them though, because if it hadn't been for Zhu Li's generosity and strong suggestion to Varrick via a poke in his ribs with her elbow that they could easily finish their shared business without her, she would not be home today either.

Even though she had many other things she would rather have done when she got back to Republic City that morning, she found more to do at Future Industries than in the Earth Kingdom, so grudgingly, Asami chose to work.

Rather, work chose her.

Therefore, from the moment she stepped off the airship to that very minute, Asami spent most of the day in meetings catching up on updates from repair projects and reports from other projects. At first she was tempted to simply shrug it all off and leave for Air Temple Island as fast as motorized conveyance could take her, but she _was_ the head of Future Industries, therefore the last word so she _had_ to be there, if nothing else to set an example.

With President Raiko hounding her as politely as he could without riling the Avatar, and the people of Republic City, whom she was _much_ more concerned with, who depended on her promise to the city to have all electricity restored within the next week, it would be irresponsible for her to get behind on projects simply to satisfy her personal whims.

Glancing towards the direction of Air Temple Island as she presided over the seemingly endless stacks of manila folders however, Asami was still sorely tempted to abandon them. She fully understood the responsibility her father, and now, she shouldered, but when she was a kid, she resented office work simply because it stole so much of her father's time from her mother and she with him, and then, just her.

Inspecting another folder's contents, signing the papers, and then replacing it back to the proper stack, people could rail as much as they wanted about what a bad man her father was, but she refused to. First hand she suffered the consequences of his wrong choices, but still, in hindsight, they couldn't understand how much he had done to prepare her for life, how strong his foresight made her, and how grateful to him she was in the end.

This wasn't the first time she realized this of course, but for a time she forgot father's goodness and guidance.

Her father rubbed shoulders with powerful captains of industry, and while he did, Asami was by his right hand observing. Amongst her peers, such inclusion of a female, much less a child in meetings such as those were unheard of, her peers lived sheltered, pampered lives readying them for debutante balls, and the underhanded negotiations, trickery, and compromise required to secure a well to do groom equal to their status.

None of that for _his_ girl though, and at a young age, Hiroshi Sato began the process of grooming her for leadership of Future Industries someday, teaching her every job in the company from sweeping the floors of the assembly line, to top level negotiations with board members and competitors.

In addition to being a sponge that absorbed all of his lessons, to Hiroshi's added delight, he found that Asami also inherited his natural inclination towards all things mechanical.

Rather, for that time being, his skills at disassembling it, by the number of alarm clocks that were forced to abort their own springs, telephones that fell apart when someone attempted to answer them, and toasters that became fire hazards under the formidable care of her screwdrivers.

Instead of being angry over the substantial collateral damage she caused, her father boasted to anyone who would listen that she was going to be a fine mechanic someday, and when she was old enough, Asami was in the garage wearing a worker's smock and a tiny pair of goggles made especially for her by her father so she could toil by his side.

As her age and skills increased, Asami graduated from handing her father oily rags to wipe grease from fittings, and parts to replace in cars to being a skilled technical artist and a master welder. Along with the best education money could buy, without her even noticing, her father gave her both the ability to design her dreams, and then fabricate them, and as they tinkered in unison over the sounds of grinding ratchets and clicking torque wrenches they formed a special bond. After the death of her mother, they grew even closer and then it was look out, because it was Hiroshi and Asami Sato against the whole world and they were going to win.

Better days.

Finding a real life hero to worship in Hiroshi, Asami never thought anything could taint the unique relationship she and her father shared, or break the strong bond between them.

Little did she know that her father would be the _only_ one who would have the ability to not only break, but utterly shatter it.

When her whole world was torn apart by the lie he embraced as truth, when all was said and done, and he had hurt her more than she even thought possible, Asami resolved to never put eyes on him again.

For three years and his best efforts to reach her, Asami left her father's correspondence unopened, simply stacking what were probably more lies with even flimsier excuses, and tying them with a ribbon in addition to the ones he willingly told her to her face years before.

Never once did he leave her thoughts though.

Ultimately, even though she would be justified, Asami could never truly bring herself to take that last step and outright hate her father. In many ways what she felt towards him after her anger abated was something less than hate, but just as painful, a cold disappointment in the man who crushed both their lives to pieces and left her with a ruined company, a completely destroyed family, and a broken heart.

Asami thanked the spirits that she had her friends to fall back upon during those dark days, or she might not have the will to face life after her father's betrayal with the strength she did. She would not wish to endure the experience again, but after all was said and done, though it was bitter work, Asami learned much about herself, persevered with encouragement, and in the end, came out smarter and stronger for having endured all she did.

Somewhere along the Avatar's experiences through _her_ own personal hell, Korra had become wiser too.

She told her that all things happened for a reason, and just because you don't know the destination of the road you're walking on, it doesn't mean that you should be afraid to keep moving your feet, because if you were, you'd miss out on the ending.

When she said it, Asami thought Korra was completely _full_ of ostrich horse shit and must have read that in a fortune cookie at one of her back door noodle shacks somewhere, but after some reflection, she found that the Avatar was actually quite sage.

Korra had grown so much in the three years she hadn't seen her, and go figure, all of that Zen wisdom rolled out of the mouth of little miss scrap first and ask questions later.

Though it had been a little more than two months since the death of her father and her heart still felt the heaviness of his loss, now at least, she was unburdened of her anger and felt blessed to have a chance to forgive, love him fully again, and to honor his memory with no taint in it.

Even now, it sometimes surprised Asami she had the courage to do it, but through her own struggles, the engineer learned it is much easier to blindly hate, rather than make the effort to forgive the complexities of someone who has mistreated you, but is in pain themselves.

Picking up a golden locket that held a small picture of her mother, father and she when she was five years old, a wave of relief swept over her, so grateful she changed her mind and tried. Asami knew now, had they never reconciled, she'd always bear the guilt of never forgiving him. Asami couldn't speak for the victims of Amon and his Equalists, but in the end, her dad redeemed himself for all time, if only in her eyes, with the valiant sacrifice that saved Republic City and her own life, allowing her to forget his wrongs and finally have some measure of peace outside the grief of his loss.

Even though she explained that he had saved her life, _all_ their lives, for some reason, people didn't seem to understand her forgiveness. Worse, they refused to recognize that if it were not for her father's plan for defeating the colossus, Kuvira and her army would have almost certainly captured Republic City, and also killed, and hurt more people than she did.

Though she'd taken measures to protect them all, her main priority was safeguarding Korra with her actions, because spirits only knew what Kuvira would have done with the Avatar had they lost and she were captured. Fortunately, the opposite occurred which created a whole new set of concerns, and as such, Asami didn't even want to begin thinking about the trial that was coming up.

She already knew she was going to have to testify seeing as she had witnessed first hand not only the destruction The Great Uniter had wrought to the city, but also the death of her father.

She wanted to bear witness for him and countless others who had suffered upon her orders, but Asami had a feeling as to what was probably going to happen. Government officials said that Kuvira's trial was about justice, but she knew better and that it was going to serve only as a show to reinforce the still weak power of the Republic.

Sitting on the chair behind her desk, Asami blinked her eyes, swept away the hint of tears damming in the corners of her eyelids, and took a few deep breaths, time would come to worry about that soon enough, so she decided to count her many blessings instead.

There were so many times during _Team Avatar's_ adventures where all of them had so many chances to be killed, but her friends were alive, she was so fortunate to be so too, and what a _time_ to be alive! There was so much hope replacing the darkness of two months prior where there was nothing but uncertainty and desperation. All the citizens of Republic City had another chance to rebuild their lives, and had a much brighter future to look forward to thanks to the Avatar.

Asami knew that she certainly did, and with warmth swelling in her heart at thoughts of _her_ , she turned to face the window behind her, and the faint yellow glow in daylight that would soon shine like a beacon and dominate the skyline come dusk.

Biting the corner of her lip at the memories of their much too brief vacation, and surprised she could actually observe it, seeing as she owned one of the few office buildings with all the floors of it left intact, Asami had little time to enjoy the aesthetic joys of what had become one of the few remaining penthouse views in town at the moment. With work niggling her conscience, Asami moved her neck from side to side, and then arched her back backwards.

Just as she was about to move to the next stack of papers on her desk, she saw a red light click on the speaker sitting on her desk, and then heard a familiar voice. "Ms. Sato?"

A wide grin cracked on Asami's face and as she enthusiastically looked around her office in wonder at all the burning bulbs illuminating it. "I gather the lines are repaired and we have power again?"

The older woman's voice chirped enthusiasm. "Yes, ma'am, citywide, and five full days ahead of schedule. As instructed, President Raiko's office was put back on the grid first." There was a pause, "He's already called asking to thank you, but he was informed as per your _busy_ schedule and the fact that you are in a meeting at this moment, you cannot be disturbed." With humor on her otherwise professional voice, she ended, "I hope I haven't overstepped, but I took the liberty of apologizing on your behalf, Ms. Sato."

With a good natured chuckle, Asami rolled her eyes at the formality. "I appreciate that, Zin, thank you. Just make sure he gets a check in the mail with the bonus he promised the company if we were ahead of schedule."

Asami's dislike of Raiko wasn't _quite_ as strong as Korra's, but _still_ , Asami had little use for him, especially after he banished the Avatar from Republic City for _absolutely_ no good reason whatsoever a few years back.

It was perfectly fine for him and everyone else to whistle for Korra like a pet to do the heavy lifting, and no imposition for her to risk her life repeatedly, almost _dying_ more than once, without so much as a sincere thank you, but still having the gall to ask for more.

Now, even after all the sacrifices the Avatar made for everyone time and again, _President_ Raiko still seemed to treat Korra with less respect than ever, at times, seemed to relish it even, and though Korra easily brushed it off, it irritated Asami to no end. "Did the mail from the patent office come in today?"

The secretary announced, "Yes, all the patents for your new model have come in. Legal examined the paperwork this morning, and all components have catalogue numbers for the engine, transmission, body design, and all proprietary rights for materials are secured. The name is also registered in the copyright office, properly recorded, trademarked, and protected for the foreseeable future."

With relief, Asami sighed, "Excellent! What of the other business?"

Asami heard papers rustle on her secretary's desk, and could almost see her squinting over them as she read over the small bifocal glasses she insisted she really _didn't_ need. "Since Avatar Korra called and confirmed her availability earlier in the day, your reservations at Kwong's Cuisine are set for six o'clock."

The day just kept getting _better_ and Asami's heart leapt for joy, Korra was actually home; open to going out, and her hunch was probably right, as it was most likely she who signed for the letter instead of anyone else on the island.

Gods only knew what would happen if the kids got _their_ hands on it.

There was nothing…..untoward in it, but she _was_ guilty of being a bit flowery in her short note turned unintentional devotional letter to her wonderful girlfriend, and from the moment she placed it in the hands of her courier to that very minute, Asami wondered if she went a bit too far with her declarations.

If _those_ didn't put the letter teetering off the cliff of love driven insanity, the perfume and lipstick kiss finished pushing it over the edge to crash and burn.

They'd only been dating for a couple of months, and she just hoped Korra wouldn't get a restraining order after reading it; she'd certainly be justified, because after some reflection, Asami thought the letter sounded more like it came from a lovesick schoolgirl with an all consuming crush instead of a grown woman in charge of what would soon become a multi-national corporation.

With a blush, Asami hurriedly answered, "Thank you very much, sounds good. I'll be leaving in a few minutes and I won't be back in today, so if I have any messages, just place them in my inbox, and I'll get to them tomorrow."

Asami could just see her secretary's trademark sideways grin when she said, "Will do, Ms. Sato, please be careful and _do_ have a _lovely_ evening."

Though no one was in the office with her, Asami looked around and then whispered, "You're _awful_."

The woman chuckled puckishly, "Remember, Ms. Sato, I'm _not_ your nanny anymore, just your secretary."

"Oh, I dare say you're much more than that, I don't think I could even _function_ without you." Clicking the private intercom system off, and finding no better omen to call the workday at an end than the return of power to the entire city, Asami unlocked the drawer to the right of her hand and opened it. Inside there was a book with a red and gold dust jacket with a black dragon curled on the front of it, she plucked it out along with a small white box tied with gold trimmed green ribbon. They were expensive, but holding the items in her hands, Asami had a real feeling of accomplishment because against all odds she was actually able to get her hands on _both_ rare objects, and because of who they were for, cost was really no object.

Checking the clock on the wall, and then her wristwatch, Asami figured she had just enough time to drop into the company locker room to take a quick shower, and since all her luggage from the business trip was with her, she could change into something dressy but casual there instead of going all the way home.

After that, it wouldn't take much time to pick up a few extra items before she had to catch the ferry.

Just as she was about to exit, she spied her faded leather racing jacket with the Future Industries insignia patches on the sleeves hanging on her father's old cracked and bent hat rack standing next to the open window. Feeling guilty because it looked lonely, Asami hadn't been wearing it much because she was usually clad in business formal for the office and though she had been fortunate enough to find time to tinker in her garage, her presence on the test tracks were nil as of late.

While they were gone in the spirit world though, she spent a good amount of time tangled in it _and_ Korra's warm, inviting arms. Spirits help her, she found Korra more adorable with each passing day they spent there, but she looked so adorable in particular that one _especially_ magical night, when with the pinkest cheeks in between kisses, Korra shyly confessed that she always found the jacket, _'kinda' sexy'_ on her.

Asami smirked with sultry eyes and snagged the worn leather from the hook to sling over her shoulder with the sensible thought that a girl simply _must_ accessorize.

Turning to leave, she heard a high-pitched flutter, and in her peripheral vision, caught a glance of light blue whizzing by her window. Leaning forward to look outside, Asami was greeted with the familiar trill of an old friend come calling. "Well hello, Bum-Ju, what are you up to?" Unable to motion with his paws because they were holding a somewhat large bouquet of lovely, fragrant white and pink peonies that suspiciously resembled the ones growing beneath the window of Tenzin's study, Asami wondered, "Where's your other half?"

As his ears skillfully kept him aloft in a hover; the friendly spirit companion of one of Air Temple Island's newest airbenders trilled and motioned with his tiny furry head towards his left and then glided closer to his friend.

Asami leaned forward from the sill of her penthouse window to an interesting sight, and as she gripped her locks to keep them from drifting into her eyes, it took everything she had to keep from laughing. "Hey, Asami, how are ya'? Wasn't expecting you to be here with Korra lookin' for you tonight and all." With his trademark grin he wondered, "Is Zin around?"

Bumi was clinging to the ledge of her secretary's closed window by the tips of his fingers, one foot precariously gripping the grout of the hot brick face. In addition to the airbenders' new flight suits, she also fabricated light, but durable footwear for the rigorous demands of their multi-surfaced landings too. Glad to see that the natural rubber materials she used to make them seemed to work well, Asami offered a playful suggestion. "You _do_ know that there is a perfectly good door out front and elevators inside for you to use, right?"

Rivulets of sweat clearly running down his forehead and into the outskirts of his beard, finding a bit more purchase, Bumi strained to pull himself up by his hands on Zin's ledge to peer inside the window. "Where's the fun in that?"

Rolling her eyes, Asami ducked back into her office and pressed a button on her desk. "Yes, Ms. Sato? What may I do for you? I thought you were already gone for the day."

Asami chuckled. "You might want to look outside; I do believe you have visitors."

From outside Asami heard, "Oh for the love of…get in here before you break your neck again!" A pause, and then, "I swear, sometimes I think Bum-Ju has more sense than you!" Bumi's loud laughter carried as Zin ended incredulously, "Are you _crazy_?"

A question that easily answered itself with his actions, any other time she'd gladly pull up a chair and thoroughly enjoy the never-ending show those two provided when together, but Asami had things she needed to do before her date.

Making sure she had everything on the list that she needed to take with her, Asami closed her office door and walked briskly down the hallway towards the elevators with elation, eager to prepare for what promised to be an enjoyable evening out on the town.

* * *

Freshly bathed and wearing the last new outfit of her favorite ensemble that wasn't torn, ripped, stained or in unsalvageable tatters from some kind of fighting, Korra stood in the kitchen washing the left over dishes from lunch. With a swipe at her brow, and yet another check of the clock on the wall, she couldn't believe that it was almost time for Pema to start thinking about making dinner. She and the acolytes who lived there religiously offered daily to help her however they could, but Pema always insisted on doing these two tasks by herself.

When she first came to Air Temple Island, there were only six of them, a few acolytes, and the occasional guest to wash up after. Now, there were nearly a hundred nomads to feed and clean up after, not even counting the visitors from other regions as they traveled, and Korra didn't see how Pema cooked for them all, much less stood washing that many bowls three times a day, seven days a week. Korra chalked it up to devotion to service and selfless sacrifice, because as the stacks of wet but clean stoneware mounted, that was the only thing that she could think of that would make Pema continue doing this thankless job without complaint, mother to the air nation or not.

She wouldn't be around to help out with the evening cooking or clean-up tasks, but at least she could help Pema out a _little_ by doing this, so picking up another crusty bowl to scrub, Korra looked out over the inlet searching the mounds of rubble and vines for the proximity of Asami's office building.

At one time, the Future Industries tower spire was easy to spot on the skyline, but even though it was undamaged, after the spirit cannon leveled nearly all of downtown, many of the tall landmark buildings there were cut severely short or obliterated, and now everything in the vicinity resembled a wild tangle due to the unhindered new growth of the vines.

Korra was grateful everyone she knew made it out, but if it weren't for Bolin, Mako would be dead, Lin saved she and Su by lashing them to the inside of the cannon arm of that unnatural monstrosity Kuvira had Bataar junior construct, Varrick and Zhu Li barely escaped death when they ejected from their damaged craft before it struck a building.

Then, there was Asami, who came the closest of all the members of Team Avatar to not making it out of the battle for Republic City alive.

She came within a hair's width of being killed when the metal hand mashed the vessel that held her and her father, and actually, for a split second; she thought Asami was still inside.

In the spirit world while Asami slept in her arms, Korra would lie awake stroking her raven locks while thinking of her near death, and the indescribable wave of relief that went over her when she saw the red parachute blossom in the blue sky above them.

It was horrible enough that Hiroshi died, and Korra truly was sad for it and Asami's loss, but spirits help her; she didn't know what would have happened if _she_ had been hurt badly or worse.

Actually, Korra did know what she would do, and that was what frightened her the most, because she _knew_ she would have lost it _completely_ along with her sanity, compassion, and last vestiges of restraint.

Thankfully, she never had to learn if her friends had the strength to stop her from killing Kuvira and every soldier of her army, or know what it would be to attempt living half a life without Asami Sato in it, so she took a deep, calming breath.

She didn't realize it at the time, and it certainly _wasn't_ their intention, but Zaheer and his followers hadn't destroyed her with their efforts, they'd _helped_ her.

It took three years of separation to discover who and what she was, and though she suffered as she trod the earth in lonely introspection looking for herself and Raava within, Korra became stronger through the experience.

She now knew that she didn't have to rely only on only Raava and she to protect the world, and that there were good, courageous people who would gladly fight alongside her to help make it a better place and preserve balance.

Through her trials, though hard on her physically and spiritually, Korra also learned what it was to truly be empathetic, patient, and what _real_ sacrifice was because until then, she hadn't a clue, she was just a participant in a play, acting out a role she thought was expected of her.

The most important things she learned from the Red Lotus, namely Zaheer, was that simply because something bad _could_ have happened, it didn't mean that it _did_ , and that life is precious, and every moment should be spent living and enjoying it instead of pondering what was past, and worrying about what had not yet come.

If nothing else, at least her time away and everything that happened made her realize the truth of her feelings for Asami, get off her ass, and make a move for her before someone else did.

Someone like her wouldn't stay single long, and the thought of a person other than her with Asami Sato, loving her the way _she_ did was a painful, _unthinkable_ thing; a woman like her would _never_ come along again, not even in a thousand lifetimes.

Korra loved her so much, she didn't know what to do, and during her journey through the mortal and spirit worlds, when she wasn't tormented by pain, stalked by her doppelganger, and riddled with guilt, the nights were filled with not only self-contemplation, but ever growing thoughts of Asami and how they evolved and grew stronger each day spent away from her.

At first her feelings strayed towards how much she missed her dear friend as she read her well-worn letters wishing she were back in Republic City. As time dragged along however, Korra found those feelings skewed much deeper, and as realization slowly dawned on her, her feelings grew more complex until the point in which she couldn't deny the truth of them any longer.

In all the time she had known her, somewhere along the way, Korra found she had fallen in love with Asami Sato.

Even with their awkward start, she realized that in one way or another, she had been all along, and though at first it seemed odd to have these sorts of feelings towards her best friend, when Korra was honest with herself, it felt not only good, but _right._

In fact, knowing that she both loved and was _in_ love with Asami was the only thing during those dark times of her long recuperation and desperate wandering that Korra was actually sure about, and the hope of seeing her again was one of the few things that grounded her, and kept her from completely losing her mind.

Of course, she _thought_ she knew what love was when she was dating Mako, and at the time, Korra thought that nothing could ever match the way he made her feel, but after they broke up and the passage of years educated her, she was actually _glad_ that they didn't work out.

Korra and Mako still loved one another in their own way, and they would always be friends, but what _they_ called love when they were together was a poor pretender to what she felt when she was with Asami.

As Avatar, Korra accepted that she would always have to be a part of the larger world and maintain balance, but when she was broken and feeling so lost, Korra never thought that she would be well, or know what it was to be happy ever again, Katara assured her that if she dedicated herself to getting better, she would find something worthwhile at the end of her journey.

She didn't know what it could possibly be at the time, but Katara was right, because at the end, Korra discovered the most wonderful thing in the world, she found love, and if it meant that Asami Sato was the reward for all she suffered, Korra would gladly endure it again and again, just as long as she was waiting there for her at the end.

Asami was home, her comfort, her harbor in the storm, the vessel that carried her heart when waters were calm; and no words existed to describe how warm, complete, and at peace she made Korra feel.

It was a long, difficult road to get to where they were now, and sometimes when caught up in her thoughts about her, Korra wondered what might have been if Asami had been her first love.

Yes, they could have been together longer, but in the end, she was grateful it never happened that way because they were not meant to be together until now.

After everything she'd seen and done, Korra truly believed that things happened for a reason, and she felt it took everything that transpired since her arrival in Republic City four years prior for her to mature into the kind of person that Asami deserved to have, and that the world needed her to be.

Korra knew life held no guarantees, and she didn't know what would happen between them, or how they would wind up, but she did know that Asami cared for her as much as she did for her; they complimented one another, and they both wanted the same things out of life. She and Asami had the desire to protect and do good deeds for the world and its people, and Korra knew that they would do their best to help and support one another to achieve those ends.

As such, even though Asami was the one who gave their relationship that crucial first push, Korra was completely prepared to build what was left of her life on the foundation of this kind, beautiful woman, and devote every minute she could spare towards her happiness if she'd have her.

As though on cue _,_ the radio began to play _Left My Heart in Republic City_ , and Korra's mind drifted off to more pleasant things as she scrubbed another dish, soon settling on the event that made her morning a little less _evil_ and the whole day a _lot_ more happy.

* * *

 _My Dearest Korra,_

 _I am hoping that you are okay, that this letter finds you well, and that Tenzin and the White Lotus guards didn't think Air Temple Island was being invaded when it was delivered._

 _I know that you like to play fetch with Naga in the morning on the beach below the pavilion, so I figured that would be the best place for my courier to find you._

 _Negotiations are still ongoing with Cabbage Corp, Suyin, Varrick, and Future Industries, but it's been like pulling Bolin and Pabu away from a full bowl of noodles._

 _Impossible._

 _I have an idea that Cabbage Corporation is under the impression that Prince Wu is going to be a puppet they can control from behind the throne of the Earth Kingdom so they can set up a monopoly where it is still legal. They are shamelessly courting him with extravagant gifts, and the Prince seems to enjoy the attention, but as you well know, they're chapping their lips on the wrong backside. Since Wu doesn't seem to have any interest in telling them, I suppose I could tell them his plans for the Earth Kingdom, but it's much too interesting a show to watch, and I enjoy watching Cabbage Corp waste their money immensely, so I think I'll not interfere._

 _I had lunch with the prince the other day, by the way, and he asked me to give Mighty Avatar Korra his best regards, and to tell you that he can't wait to work with you next month to begin the process of transitioning Earth Kingdom into separate states. Wu has matured a lot since he's gotten some responsibility, it seems he continues to use the restroom by himself at least, but still, he's Wu, and he was dropping hints like bombs for me to help him convince you to go on a date with him since you and I are such good friends and all._

 _I promise I was patient with him, no electro-shock gloves or threats to life and limb, but I left no question about your eligibility, or lack thereof for the future and the reason why._

 _Quite frankly, I think he was a little shocked, and judging by his reaction, I honestly don't think he thought such a thing existed._

 _I suppose I should have waited and consulted you first about how to handle it because the king is a notorious gossip, so surely the whole Earth Kingdom probably knows about us by now. As I have always said though, it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission and I don't think I could tolerate him hitting on you in front of me again._

 _I wanted to murder him the first time he did it, and we weren't even together yet._

 _Of course, I'll tell you all the other news from the Metal Clan in person, because by the time you get this letter, I will probably be back in Republic City._

 _If you don't have any high level Avatar world saving to do tonight, I would love to take you out to dinner at our usual place because a celebration of sorts is in order._

 _Our reunion of course, and I have something special to show you! It is the only one in the entire world, at least for now, and you will be the first person outside of official business to see it. I was dying to show it to you when it was finished, but there are corporate spies everywhere, and everything I design, I have to protect as soon as possible so that no one can steal my ideas, designs, or components of them._

 _It is another cool thing that you inspired me to do, and I think you are going love it!_

 _Also, this is a HUGE game changer, something that is going to surprise the industry! This innovation is going to be bigger than the overhead valve, and no, I'm not boasting, because as you always say, "Mighty Avatar Korra", 'it ain't braggin' if you can do it.'_

 _I wish I could come see you when I land, but I'll be in meetings all morning unfortunately, and I have massive piles of paperwork to deal with after those as well. I won't be able to talk to you myself, but if you can, just give my secretary a call, and she'll let me know how your schedule is either way._

 _I do really hope you are free, though._

 _As far as here goes, Zhu Li and Varrick are better negotiators than I am anyway, Varrick could sell a melting red sauce popsicle to a prissy lady wearing long white gloves, and if his most charming ostrich horse hockey fails to impress during the meetings, Zhu Li has the ability to recover negotiations with her encyclopedic knowledge, professionalism, and tea._

 _As you well know, my forte is design and building, I don't have much patience or skill with speeches or the subtle art of the corporate lie, I prefer the direct approach. Wingman for the Avatar utilizing Electro-shock gloves, as well as kicks and punches are excellent for dealing with bandits sporting heavy, unflattering makeup on their faces, but unfortunately, those tactics are not for use in the business world._

 _Really, that's just my excuse for leaving Earth Kingdom anyway, telling the truth, I just couldn't bear another day away from Republic City because you're there, I'm stuck all the way out here, and I miss you as you would not believe._

 _I know I'm being ridiculous because it has only been two weeks, but it seems much longer, forever, because it is away from you._

 _There isn't enough time in past, present, or future to be with you, and even if I spent forever gazing into those lovely azure eyes of yours as time spun out, I'd be selfish and beg the spirits, the Gods, the master mechanic of the Universe for just one more hour with you._

 _I could say there's a hole in my heart when we are apart, but it wouldn't be true, because when I feel lonesome for you, all I need do is think of the time that we have spent together, and then my heart fills with more love for you that grows deeper each day until we see one other again._

 _You are so beautiful, yet I find I say it nowhere near enough because when we are together, I cannot keep my eyes off you. I don't mean that in some immature, shallow way either, your splendor to me doesn't exist merely on the outside, because the best of you resides within your noble heart._

 _You are so kind, generous, and good, and it breaks my heart when people don't appreciate you as they should._

 _Every time something happens, you don't wait to be asked for help, or think of yourself for a moment, you just jump in and save the day because that's who you are, I love you for that, and for so many other reasons, Korra._

 _Even when everything is stacked against you, you are better than any challenge or person you have ever faced._

 _People who have done far less for the world than you would become bitter and angry after enduring a quarter of the suffering that you have, instead, you only offer more love to a world that sometimes doesn't realize what a treasure you truly are._

 _Never think that you are taken for granted by me though, I could never undervalue, or forget how grateful I am that you are a part of my life._

 _You give me hope, you make me happy, and you give me a reason to live. I know I am far from perfect, but you inspire me to try to be a better person and live my life with purpose._

 _I want to be like you, Korra, because you are my hero._

 _Sometimes, I have to stop whatever I'm doing, take a moment, and make sure that this is real, and not a dream that I'm going to wake up from at any moment because I can't believe that we are together._

 _If this is a dream, I hope I never wake, because I could not possibly live without you, or your love. Never for a moment doubt that you will always have mine, along with my heart, for as long as you care to claim them as your own._

 _I only wanted to tell you that I am coming home, and hope to see you sometime today, but here it is that I lay my soul bare, yet you make it so easy to confess the things I feel for you because they are all true, and truth is the easiest thing to tell._

 _So, in your own words, you shall simply have to deal with it._

 _I love you so much!_

 _Your 'Sami_

 _P.S. Did I tell you that I love you more than anyone else in the whole wide world, and that you're absolutely gorgeous yet?_

 _You're sorta' kinda' awesome like that, Korra!_

* * *

After _finally_ coaxing Rohan into bed for one of the naps he dreaded so, Pema made her way to the kitchen to finish washing the dishes that she should have finished that afternoon.

As she walked inside, the radio was on, Korra's favorite tune playing, and the girl in question was standing in front of the sink looking to her side out the open window towards Republic City, swaying in time to the instrumental.

Having a good idea as to why she was so completely distracted, Pema took a couple of steps backwards so that she was in the doorway, and cleared her throat in order to spare the girl any embarrassment. "You didn't have to do all this, Korra."

When Korra hadn't heard a word of what she said, still staring out the window, Pema walked over to the sink, glanced at Korra, the repetitive motion that she gave the item in her hand, her faraway stare, and touched her shoulder lightly. "I _think_ that bowl is clean now."

"Oh!" Shocked out of her dreamlike state, the girl looked down at Pema, her sudsy hands, the shining bowl, and put it into the basin of hot clean water to rinse. "Sorry 'bout that,"

The understanding mother shook her head, making no further mention of it. "You don't have to worry about doing all this, dear, you're all dressed up, and I don't want you to get dirty water all over your nice clothes for your date tonight." Pema regarded her charge for a moment, "You look great, Kid."

"Thanks." Korra blushed, shaking her head, "I'm being careful, and it looked like you could use a little help." Glancing at the time, Korra picked up another dish and dunked it into the warm, sudsy water to begin the process of soaking crusted food off it. "I wish I could help you make dinner and all, but 'Sami's arriving on the next ferry." She rubbed the back of her neck with a blush. "I think we'll be leaving earlier than usual because she says she's got something special she wants to show me, and I guess after that we're going to Kwong's, but that's as far as Asami's plans go that I know."

Seeing the Avatar so smitten and happy was a treat, and with a smile Pema shook her head. "Oh, don't worry about missing dinner here; I'm glad that you're out having a good time." Then her eye squinted, an eyebrow rose, and she looked around before asking quietly, "Asami _is_ being a _lady_ on your dates, I trust?"

Uncomfortable red heat erupted on Korra's cheeks, she had already gotten _innocently_ probing questions akin to these out of her mother and father, but getting it out of Pema, who cut right through the formality of the bullfrog shit and went in for the kill, was quite a surprise. "Of course, 'Sami always treats me like a queen."

Pema crossed her arms, and answered in not quite a threatening tone, but still, sternly with a hint of growl in her voice, "She better."

Her eyebrows rose and surprised at the sudden protectiveness of the mama polar bear dog wearing air nomad robes, Korra would have said more to assuage Pema's concerns, but another awkward moment was unfolding of her own unintentional making.

Ikki's voice was the first to carry loudly down the hallway. "You've had it _forever_ , I wanna' see it now! 'Gimme!"

The eldest airbender sibling stated judiciously, "No, it's none of your business, it belongs to Korra!"

Ikki spat, "You've already read it twenty times _at least_!"

The sounds of wrestling and arguing grew exponentially as they neared the kitchen, and Jinora shouted, "You don't even _like_ to read!"

Meelo stomped his foot and yelled, "I found it **first**!"

Korra's face flushed, she looked at Pema in panic, and then immediately reached down under her pelt to rifle through her pocket. The costly metallic object was still there weighing it down, but found to her horror that Asami's neatly folded love letter was missing. "Oh, sh-"

Korra eyed the swear jar on the counter as Pema in turn eyed her.

"Shoot." Korra quickly amended.

With the exception of the cleanup after the earth empire invasion, surprisingly, things settled down some the past month, so much so that Korra was able to take a part-time job at the city zoo feeding a few of the less dangerous animals and shoveling hog monkey cages to make a few much needed yuans. It wasn't the most fun job in the world, in fact, it was messy, incredibly stinky work, especially cleaning up after the aye-ayes who loved to fling the fruits of their labor at unsuspecting humans, but she made some good friends there too, along with some damn good money.

In fact, everything was going great there, that is… until the unfortunate _incident_ with the air bison whistle and subsequent attack.

The path to Vaatu's lair truly was paved with good intentions, and the affair wasn't _her_ fault, not in its entirety, she was _only_ trying to help get the escaped animals she _accidentally_ released back into their enclosures, and if her whistle could summon air bison, then she surmised that it might work on other species of animals as well.

Though something deep inside hinted that using her whistle might not be the best of ideas, how in the world was she supposed to know what would happen if she blew into it really hard?

Korra artfully informed everyone at home she was bored with the job and opted to find something else to do, i.e. she "quit", but in truth it was the draconian zoo administrator, who didn't seem to like her in the first place, who gleefully terminated her employment, and had been looking for the perfect opportunity to do so for a long time.

Korra certainly accommodated him with her benign actions _that_ day, that much was certain, because an adolescent, four hundred pound male tiger seal tackled the administrator from behind in the misguided attempt to mate with him, while the rest of the herd of animals made a bid for freedom, and the entire staff laughed at his unfortunate predicament.

The feeling of dislike on her part for him was equal, but Korra _could_ understand his ire at the position he was literally thrust into by her misguided act, and if he hadn't been wearing a pair of particularly well-made pants constructed of strong, moisture resistant cloth, the incident could have turned out much worse than anyone could have possibly imagined.

After she and the other staff members got all the animals back into their respective cages a few hours later, Korra grudgingly accepted her dismissal with all the dignity afforded the situation, though unable to resist, as a parting shot, she gave the administrator President Raiko's private office number, and suggested they play Pai Sho together someday.

After her unceremonious discharge there, she and the airbender Ryu found temporary employment picking komodo chicken eggs out of pens at the city hatchery, and on the side of that job, Korra worked a litany of others, each one shittier than the last.

Literally.

Despite the fact that she sometimes slipped up, and had to feed the greedy monster that was Pema's swear jar, somehow Korra still managed to save four hundred ten yuans over the last few months that were now almost all gone.

According to her near lapse that afternoon, as part of a graduated scale, swear words that were the product of excretion, both human _and_ animal cost two yuans.

Unable to afford a swearing toll tonight because she wanted to treat Asami to _something_ nice for a change and wasn't sure how much it was going to cost, Pema eyed her, and as Korra looked up at the ceiling of the room, she muttered, "Sorry." The worried Avatar then ran out of the room in a panic, Pema calmly following after.

Jinora, much taller than her siblings, held the pages of Korra's well-worn letter from Asami up over her head while Ikki jumped in place trying to snatch the sacred leaves away from her sister, Meelo blowing wind at Jinora's hand in the fruitless attempt at dislodging them.

As Korra neared the arguing kids, all of them froze, Meelo's wind died down, and each sibling shared a glance with one another, wondering if the Avatar was going to kill them for their trespass or not.

Pema stepped forward from behind Korra, gently took the creased, stained, and well-worn pages from her eldest daughter, folded them without looking at the text, and then handed them back to the owner. "You are _all_ old enough to know better than to take something and read it without someone's permission."

Meelo looked down and kicked the edge of a tile on the floor that stood proudly of the others. "It was lying on the floor in the hallway; we didn't go into her room and get it or anything."

"Still, it's wrong to meddle, you all _knew_ it didn't belong to you, and you had no right to read it! People's things are private, would you like it if someone took something you dropped on the floor without telling you they had it?" Pema said.

All the kids answered while looking down at their shoes, "No."

With her hands on her hips, and a stern expression on her face, she eyed her children and asked them the quintessential mom question, "So, is there something you'd like to say to your friend?"

All the kids looked at the Avatar shamefacedly and said in unison, "Sorry, Korra."

Korra stuffed the letter back into her pocket, making sure that it was deep enough and wouldn't fall out again. "It's okay." She knelt down and gave all the kids a hug together. "I was a kid once too, it's not like I've never done the same thing myself."

Meelo pointed towards Korra's bulging pocket. "Why was there perfume on the letter, and _why_ did Asami _kiss_ it?" He crossed his arms, asking with great suspicion, "Are you trying to steal _my_ woman?"

Pema hid a smile behind her hand while red spread across Korra's face and Ikki innocently added to the young woman's discomfort, " _Have_ you kissed Asami yet? Is it different than kissing a boy, because you used to kiss Mako a lot."

Embarrassed, Korra wanted to sink into a deep, dark hole and never come out again, but settled for caging her fingers over her eyes.

Pema bit back a laugh when Jinora came up with a stunning jewel all her own. "Instead of being an engineer, Asami should just sell her company and write love ballads and historic sagas professionally, she's _sooooooo_ romantic!" Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she clasped her hands in front of her chest with a long, dramatic sigh. "I hope I'll give someone a reason to live, be able to fill the empty hole in their heart with love, and they'll want to gaze into _my_ eyes until the end of time someday!"

Pema grinned and looked to her side at Korra, " _Really_?"

Korra had an incredulous look on her face. "You too, Pema?"

Jinora smiled, "If you and Asami get engaged, who gives who the betrothal necklace?"

Blowing warm breath through her pursed lips and feeling surrounded from all sides, Korra put her hand on her forehead as Ikki asked, "Are you and Asami gonna' buy a house in town and have a bunch'a of kids together or something?"

With a smirk, Jinora stated sensibly, "Asami already has a gigantic house; all they really need _now_ is the bunch of kids."

Korra's eyes widened at Jinora's logic, and Pema covered a laugh with a cough as Meelo chimed in, "Asami and Korra can't have any kids because they're not married yet!"

Pema's eyebrow rose and Korra looked down at the three of them while they bickered, and as Ikki stuck out her tongue at Jinora blowing a raspberry, Meelo passed gas while effectively mining the left nostril of his nose with two sections of a pinkie finger.

Granted, Korra loved the three of them very much, but if ever there was an argument against reproduction, she was looking _directly_ at it.

Truthfully, she really _had_ thought of all those things over the past couple of months.

With the kids' imaginations already having her saddled with a home, children, and other spousal responsibilities, along with no reliable means of supporting _any_ of them, suddenly Korra felt overwhelmed.

Falling backwards until her shoulders met the rough stone wall behind her; Korra dragged her hand down her face in frustration and whined, "We're _only_ going out to _dinner_!"

Meelo turned around and placed his arms around himself. Rubbing his back and making sucking noises with his lips, he teased, "Smoochy, smoochy! Someone's in _looooove_!"

Korra bent down and snarled at all the kids with her best wolf growl, but instead of being frightened, they all split off in separate directions while laughing before she could grasp them in her arms.

Korra brushed the wrinkles out of her tunic as best she could and adjusted the warm pelt around her waist while Pema cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about that, Korra."

Korra waved her hand, "Oh, it's no big deal, kids do things like that." She grinned wickedly. "I'll get both the girls and the air nation commander back when they start dating."

Pema didn't want to offend Korra, but she had to ask for parental reasons, "Ah, was there um, _anything_ in that letter that the kids _might_ have seen that they shouldn't?"

Korra instantly answered, face flushed, "No, oh _no_ , nothing like _that_."

Just as Pema was going to ask Korra who _would_ get the betrothal necklace, from the courtyard Naga began to bark, then howl loudly as a foghorn sounded in the distance. Korra's eyes lit with excitement, but then she looked at the last small stack of dishes that she didn't have a chance to finish. Pema looked over her shoulder, back at Korra then nodded her head to the side towards the door with a knowing smile.

Needing no other permission, Korra took off for the door, snagging the arm length fingerless gloves slung on the chair next to it as she exited, chasing the sound of hurried footfalls and jubilant laughter from children already present in the corridor ahead.


	2. Vehicle

_The Legend of Korra_ was created by Michael Dante Dimartino, Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Viacom Inc. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

Curious George was created by H.A. and Margaret Rey. No infringement on their estate is implied, nor should be inferred.

The title of this chapter comes from the song _Vehicle_ , composed by Jim Peterik and performed by The Ides of March. No infringement on their property is implied, nor should be inferred.

Rated **M** for Mature: Thank Goodness that the word "mature" has a _completely_ different context here or we'd _both_ be screwed.

* * *

And It's Beautiful

Chapter Two: Vehicle

Gripping railing along the port side of the ferry, once a speck in the distance, Air Temple Island now loomed largely, Asami could see the dock at least.

No one was on them yet, but far away on the paths leading from the temple, she saw people in gold and maroon robes walking down single file to shore, and she could only assume that they were air acolytes and not benders. The older, more accomplished benders seemed to prefer the wing suits she designed to glide wherever they needed to go, but the kids still preferred to use air scooters to travel with, especially the biggest one of them all, Korra.

It was such a long haul up and down from the temple to shore on foot, and Asami thought it had to be hard on the acolytes going back with heavy supplies on their shoulders or pulling them on skids. Surely he wouldn't protest, but with Tenzin's permission, perhaps she could make it a little easier for them to do their jobs, and thinking of some of her latest ideas, Asami thought she had just the thing.

She designed it for the growing motor sport hobby market, a small conveyance powerful enough to carry people and limited loads. It was like a motorcycle but with four wheels, and in the place of speed the vehicle was built for power, durability, and running over steep hills as well as rough landscapes, yet compact enough for easy transport to the field and storage in a regular garage.

Asami tentatively called her latest project the land cycle, but after some thought, decided to call it an _all terrain vehicle_ instead. Naming it that, the vehicle sounded more rugged, and could be marketed to not only thrill seekers who spent a lot of time outdoors, but also to anyone who would need to travel through remote areas conventional vehicles or heavy equipment could not reach; like surveyors, farmers, law enforcement personnel, rescue teams, and it could even have military applications.

When she heaved her gift for one of the larger residents of the island onto the ferry, Asami certainly _wished_ she had an ATV then, and as she inspected her packages, more specifically, the heaviest one for leaks, she rubbed her sore shoulder wondering if she'd overdone it. When she ordered it, the shopkeeper asked if she was _sure_ which should have been a red flag, but she told him yes she wanted it, and would pick it up herself. When she arrived, Asami soon understood his concern because the massive thing barely fit inside the car, and the struggle to force it into the passenger seat, even with help from two other people, took so long she nearly missed her ferry.

At least it turned out okay, and satisfied the parcel was fine for the moment, leaning her head back; Asami enjoyed the calls of the black lizard gulls circling overhead, the sensation of wind whipping through her hair, and the scent of salty spray wafting from the bow to the sides of the ship.

In addition to sales of the new vehicle, Asami and her project head also had a series of accessories planned to go along with the ATV and the already existing Satocycle line with well-crafted helmets, goggles, leathers, shirts, and boots accentuated by the Future Industries logo. Asami and her designing team worked extremely hard to make sure that the clothing and accessories did not favor one gender, and would appeal to both.

Women in the industry were a ridiculously undersold market, and as men did, they too had disposable income that could be spent on luxury products, namely, hers. Cabbage Corporation's ads focused on how many groceries and children would fit in their vehicles, and to an extent, Future Industries' did too, but Asami was working to change that image. Contrary to popular belief, women's interests were multi-faceted, and Asami knew that she and Korra weren't the only ones in the world who craved a little adventure in their lives. Even though a woman could work and then come home to be a capable homemaker, it didn't mean she couldn't raise a little hell on the weekends too, and the new magazine ads she just approved sought to illustrate that.

Future Industries' line of products was not normally associated with clothing, so Asami was taking a real risk starting a fashion line. If teens, men, _and_ women stopping her on the street and at worksites asking, _'where did you get that cool jacket_ ', or Korra snatching her gear to wear at any opportunity given was any indication of success, sales of the fashion line would be healthy. Asami hoped it would put the Future Industries shield and gear logo in the minds of consumers as not only something chic to wear, but would help engender brand loyalty also.

Closing the white painted door behind him, an older man with a greying beard wearing a neatly pressed blue uniform and matching cap walked down the metal steps from the wheelhouse towards two men on the forward deck of the ferry. Pausing their work of uncoiling the thick looped rope used for docking, the deckhands watched as the captain motioned towards shore and the wooden plank dock in the far distance. They glanced towards Asami as the older man surreptitiously nodded his head towards her while speaking quietly, and when finished, the two sailors nodded affirmatively and then carried on with their assigned duties.

Witnessing the exchange, but not knowing what to expect from it, Asami watched with curiosity as the captain straightened his jacket, and then walked towards her. Tipping his hat, he politely addressed her. "Excuse me, Ms. Sato, I'm sorry to intrude, but I thought you'd like to know that we're close to landing. We have the weekly supplies for Master Tenzin to offload and we won't be underway until the last of it is onshore, so please feel free to take your time with the usual greetings, I promise we won't leave you behind." With a wink he chuckled, "Not that you'd need a ride back anyway, since you'd have the Avatar to fly you and all."

Asami playfully tapped the grey painted diamond plate deck with the tip of her booted toe, making the tune _shave and a haircut_ resonate through the thick steel. "Thank you, Captain, but I've tried that with her once before, and to tell you the truth, I prefer to have a nice, solid deck beneath my feet rather than holding onto Korra for dear life."

He nodded and pointed towards the largest package neatly wrapped by her side with his thumb. "I can't believe that fit in your vehicle, Ms. Sato." He scratched his head. "It's a wonder you didn't hurt yourself by yanking on it so hard, I would have had the crew help, but I didn't see you dragging that thing until you got it onboard."

The big one really was _almost_ too heavy, but she managed, and Asami waved a dismissive hand. "I pick transmission housings and heavy parts up all the time, so it wasn't that bad, and after I neglected to pay the baggage fee I didn't want to trouble your crew after I discovered I might have been a bit overzealous."

The captain harrumphed at such an idea. "Well, Ma'am, you're absolutely _no_ trouble at all, and I _don't_ want you tempting the fates a second time. When we land, I'll have my boys place all your packages on a hand truck and roll them down the gangplank for you if that's agreeable."

The other packages weren't heavy, it was just the big one that was awkward, but grateful for the help with it, Asami held out her hand for the grizzled sailor to shake. "Thank you, Captain, you are a true gentleman." Honest to a fault, Asami promised, "I'll see to it you're paid for the extra service when we get back to the ticket office city side."

"No, Ms. Sato, please consider it an inadequate thank you for everything you did during the battle for the city."

Asami shook her head modestly. "I didn't do anything more than anyone else did."

"You designed those airships, helped the Avatar save everyone during that mech attack, and you helped keep the city docks from being destroyed too. Ferrying people and shipping cargo is how I earn a living to take care of my family. I also have many employees who depend on my business for their jobs, it would've taken months for the waterfront to be repaired if it was destroyed and none of us would be able to work. When you see her, could you please tell Avatar Korra how grateful I am?"

Asami, glad that someone genuinely appreciated something Korra did, smiled. "Actually, the Avatar is going to board for the return trip with me, so you'll be able to tell her yourself."

The considerate sailor laughed. "The way you've been checking your watch, leaning on the rails, and keeping an eye on the widow's walk, I don't want to rob you of your time with her." Asami's face flushed while looking downwards as she shyly pulled back the loose strands of hair that were whipping around her face in the wind. Noticing the color of her cheeks, the attentive captain informed, "Besides, I need to be at the helm for the return trip, by the books he's a good sailor, but my first mate is still a _little_ green and I don't want to take any chances. The shallows near the shore city side are tricky, sandbars are constantly changing with the tides, and I don't want the ship run aground." Turning to leave, the captain faced Asami again with one last thought. "By the way, I saw that picture of you and Avatar Korra in the Republic City Sentinel last week, and for what it's worth, you two make a good looking couple." He observed kindly, "You look happy together."

They were happy, but there _had_ been questions about their relationship, and seeing who Korra was, curiosity was to be expected, but not everyone had been so kind, and though dissenting opinions seemed to be in the minority, there were still _incidents_. Asami wanted to hug the captain for his kindness but it wouldn't be proper, so looking on him appreciatively she said, "Thank you, that really means a lot."

"We'll be landing in twenty, Ma'am." The kind man tipped his hat once more with a respectful nod and then walked back up the steps to the pilothouse and closed the door.

* * *

Running towards the courtyard, Korra paused to look to her right out past the columns and open arches of the outdoor corridor towards the southern edge of the shoreline. Gripping the large rough bricks beneath her hands, the tip of her middle finger lightly trailing the cleft of one of the mortar joints between them, she could see the ferry nearing the docks. Though the features of the speck standing near the rail were blurred by distance, there was no mistake as to who it was.

Unable to contain herself at the sight of Asami, Korra ran towards the atrium and Naga, but then an uncomfortable thought occurred.

She did not have a single thing to present her girlfriend with upon her arrival.

Korra knew Asami didn't want or expect lavish presents from her, but she was _always_ doing something special for her, and she wanted to reciprocate in some small way because she felt that more often than not, the generosity only went one way, and the conscientious girl felt guilty.

She did have _one_ thing to give Asami, but it was the _big_ thing, and she didn't want to give her that until the moment was just right, preferably a romantic one when they were alone, in a memorable, dramatic gesture that would make Asami love her forever just as Ikki suggested she might.

Her plight answered by the merciful universe, Korra never paid much attention to them before, but suddenly she spied the bushes lining the wall of the courtyard, and they were full of huge, lovely, fragrant flowers in pastel shades of pink and white, just _ripe_ for the picking.

Framing her chin between her fingers as she looked upwards, Korra's eyebrows arched along with a sideways pull of her lips as she weighed her need for a gift versus the argument of right and wrong.

Her mentor loved those flowers, and technically, she'd be stealing, but they _were_ just growing out there in the open, and Tenzin _did_ extol the virtue of giving charity to those who had little, preaching that it was the most pure example of unconditional love.

What kind of student would _she_ be if she didn't take the lessons of her master to heart and actively practice them?

Since the flowers were for someone else out of her desire to _demonstrate_ love, surely Tenzin wouldn't begrudge her a couple of the beautiful blooms if she wasn't greedy, especially if they were for Asami.

Her conscience settled, with a crooked smile Korra deviously glanced from side to side, over both her shoulders, and then up towards to the window where her mentor's study was located. After deciding she wasn't being watched, she discreetly grabbed two large blossoms, one white and a pink one into her palm and then quickly sliced them free from their stems with swish of cutting air from her hand. Examining the bushes a little closer, it seemed that a large swathe of flowers were missing from the foliage already, judging from the numerous gaps in the bushes and stems that were not of her doing.

"Hey!" Surprised during her daylight robbery, Korra jumped, quickly hiding the flowers behind her back with a sheepish grin when Meelo blew himself from the corridor where his sisters were standing, running to her side. Pointing behind himself, he issued a challenge. "Race ya' to the docks." Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and rubbing his hands in anticipation of the sweet reward, he said slyly, "Whoever gets there _first_ gets a kiss from Asami!"

Korra didn't bemoan Asami's popularity on Air Temple Island because she was crazy about her too, but thrilled they were _leaving_ for dinner rather than staying for a change, the Avatar playfully responded, "Oh, no you don't, little man!" Pointing at her chest with her free thumb, she informed her scheming rival, "I saw her first!"

When she visited, it was difficult to get a moment alone with her girlfriend because everyone on the island loved Asami _almost_ as much she did. From the acolytes, the new ranks of airbenders, to her extended family of Tenzin, Pema, and the kids, it often took thirty minutes, sometimes _longer_ for everyone to get in their _Sato time_ before Korra could begin thinking of getting her all to herself.

Even _then_ , it was perilous to have a conversation, completely unsafe to hold Asami's hand, and downright dangerous to even dare think of stealing a juicy kiss from those full red lips. Despite the size of Air Temple Island, and the exhaustive list of hiding places she and Asami found to slip off to, invariably the kids would still stumble upon both of them during more private moments, and then _never_ leave.

Korra was almost sure that their "accidental" discoveries of she and Asami were a well executed plan, and often it took promises of candy and stories _way_ past bedtime if they left them alone right then, or threats of mild violence she never intended to carry out if they didn't.

While caught up in her thoughts, Meelo prepared to make a run for the docks, but before the crafty little turd could cheat and get a head start, Pema stuck her head out of the window of Tenzin's study. "Meelo, Jinora, Ikki?" The girls ran from the corridor into the courtyard to stand with their brother, and all three looked upwards towards their mother. "Come up here with Rohan and help me paint happy faces on some fresh sweet buns for Miss Asami to take home with her."

In unison, Jinora, Meelo and Ikki all said, " _Awwwwwwww_!" In turn, Korra's eyebrow twitched upwards as Pema gave her that playful smile reserved for occasions when she thought she knew a little more than she let on.

Vividly remembering the event of hers and Asami's mutual confession of love for one another, spirits knew it was hard to keep a secret for any length of time on that island, but surely Pema didn't know anything about _that_ did she?

Nah.

They were alone that night, and there was _no way possible_ Pema could know she hoisted Asami up into her arms like a sack of seal jerky and kissed her as though she was starving.

Meelo pointed in the direction of the docks with his thumb. "But, moooooooom, she's _almost_ here!"

Not quite impatiently, but firmly, Pema instructed, "Now, please."

Gently nudging Pema aside, Tenzin poked his head out, adding with final authority, "Listen to your mother." Then the air-bending master looked down from the window he and his wife shared, eying Korra _and_ his denuded bushes suspiciously.

The Avatar returned her mentor's attention by grinning widely at him, every tooth showing, her sweaty left hand gripping his stolen flowers behind her back, and the right saluting him sharply with two fingers, all the while desperately trying to look innocent, but failing miserably.

Tenzin dragged his hand over his eyes as he left the window with a barely audible groan, and while the kids obeyed their parents, Korra backed towards her furry companion mouthing ' _thank you'_ to Pema.

In response, Pema waved the backs of her hands towards excited girl exhorting her to, _'go on',_ hoping that her small task with the children would afford Korra and Asami a _little_ time alone, knowing that if Korra didn't get it then, she wouldn't be alone with her girlfriend until they departed.

Korra quickly moved around Naga, sticking the stems of the flowers in between the left side of her waist and the top half of her pelt so that when she rode away, Asami's blooms would be hidden.

Moving to the front of her loyal companion, Korra roughed the top of Naga's head and then scratched under her chin asking playfully, "Hey, girl, wanna' see 'Sami?" The animal whined in curiosity at the familiar name as its excitement intensified. "If I know _anything_ she's probably bringing you a treat." The dog's block-like head turned sideways as her ears perked at the mention of one of her _favorite_ words, and soon a thin string of drool ran from Naga's panting maw as she reared up playfully; giving a low woof as her bottom wiggled with excitement.

"Spirits, she's gonna' have you spoiled completely rotten, Naga." She gathered the polar bear dog's moist jowls in her hands and playfully jostled them with a wet sound, placing her forehead atop its head before planting a loving kiss. "Though I don't think anyone deserves it more though, because _you_ are _such_ a _good_ girl, booger bear. Yes you are!" Moving to the side of her mount, Korra pushed her hands downwards creating a burst of air that catapulted her upwards, sending countless shafts of Naga's thin, translucent hairs to float in the air around them. Landing on her companion's broad back, adjusting her seat so that it was more comfortable for the animal and easier for her to stay astride once they started moving, Korra gently nudged Naga's sides with her heels. "Okay, girl, let's go!"

With an excited, unbridled launch forward, Korra leaned downwards on her friend's shoulders, gripping the loose skin on Naga's neck as she set off in a gallop towards shore, laughing jubilantly as the powerful animal shed great white rags of her dying winter coat and wilting petals of Asami's flowers in their wake.

* * *

Close to mooring, the deckhands made docking preparations and Asami could barely wait to step ashore. She could see Korra astride Naga near the outer wall of the temple off in the far distance, but they were gaining ground; recklessly fast it seemed.

Since the first time she'd seen one up close, Asami became fascinated with polar bear dogs, but Naga was the only tame one existing in the world. The rest of them had a penchant for eviscerating and devouring anything they viewed as prey items, human beings included, so Asami largely put the notion of ever having one of her own out of her mind.

Luckily, one of the benefits of being a member of Team Avatar was that Korra generously shared her sweet natured companion, and though she thoroughly enjoyed riding Naga while firmly grasping Korra's waist from behind, Asami preferred to watch her girlfriend astride the animal alone instead.

Poetry in motion, the way that they moved in harmony in a trot or gallop was mechanical perfection.

Though the animal's pelage was thick and shaggy, one could still appreciate the movement of Naga's muscles underneath her skin, but the magnificent animal paled in comparison with the beauty of its striking rider.

The way Korra perfectly balanced her well-toned body atop her mount and rode in synch with its movements was nothing short of majestic, and the fact that Korra rode Naga bareback as well or better as she did with a saddle was simply impressive.

Though women always had a place in the United Forces, they played mostly supportive roles as typists, messengers, telegraphers, and the rare flight instructor, the notion of them actually going into active combat was seen as ridiculous. As of late, however slowly, it was gaining more acceptance that women could train and then participate in battle as pilots, paratroops, infantry, have naval duties as able seamen, or even join elite military detachments such as the fire nation's Yuyan Archers.

All of Korra's people were warriors in some way, and though women like Katara and her daughter Kya were trained healers and kept the home fires burning, they could hold their own in battle when a threat loomed and protect their homes and families just as fiercely as the men. From what Asami could glean from Tonraq, women warriors were as celebrated as males based on individual acts of courage and were perhaps even a little _more_ feared.

Only seeing her healing talents, Asami never had the honor of witnessing it herself, but Kya was also renowned for her bold prowess and unflinching bravery in combat. From what she was told by Lin, between Katara and her daughter, the bandits that lived on the edges of the tundra hadn't offered to raid their village for decades for fear of the elderly master and her fierce daughter.

As such, Asami thought that even if Korra were not the Avatar, from the skills she'd seen her demonstrate over the years without benefit of bending in any form, she'd _still_ be a formidable opponent.

More than once Korra made mention of the two of them visiting her parents for a week or two at some point, and she really wanted to go, but even though Tonraq and Senna knew the scope of their relationship, Asami was reticent about going. She _could_ use the excellent excuse of having a business to run, but that wasn't fair to Korra. The weak pretext was simply a stalling tactic, because the crux of the matter was that she wasn't only a friend anymore, but a suitor, and she was nervous about meeting Korra's parents again after their change in relationship because now she had much to prove.

True, Korra was the Avatar and didn't need protecting from her, and Asami felt Tonraq and Senna liked her well enough, but still, Korra _was_ their only child. They seemed accepting of Korra being attracted to, and dating women, but Asami was sure that her parents did not want their precious daughter to wind up with just _anyone_ off the street either and she wanted to be good enough for Korra in their eyes too.

Whenever she had a project she wanted to get underway, Asami made a checklist.

Usually that list was for parts and fabricating materials she'd need, but this time the inventory was of herself, and what positive attributes she brought to the table.

One: She was generous

Yes, she was concerned with running her business and making a profit for herself, her shareholders and employees, but Asami also valued giving equally, and always tried to be conscientious and charitable when either the opportunity or need presented itself.

Despite the urgings of her board of directors, even when the company could ill afford it, she continued the benefits her kind father began, insisting that medical insurance, paid sick days, educational scholarships, and savings programs remain available to all employees of Future Industries. To Asami's surprise and relief however, after Varrick ripped her off, her generosity was paid back thousand fold when her employees came in to work full days despite the fact that she couldn't make payroll, and when she went down to the assembly lines to toil along side them, they cheered her like a hero instead of cursing her existence and walking out as they had every right to do.

Now that Future Industries was back on top, Asami wanted to reward the loyalty of all her employees, and could not _wait_ to introduce her plans for profit sharing to the board. One way or another, she was going to make it happen too, if for no other reason than to watch the veins swell to near bursting on the forehead of the man who led the members who wanted to supplant her when the company was struggling. When he got upset, the veins in his face and neck popped out making his angry red face resemble a road map, and watching the chairman battle to contain his ire at what he considered were her "wasteful" ideas was entertainment you couldn't buy.

She provided services to the Avatar and the burgeoning Air Nation after harmonic convergence by providing the fastest airship Future Industries built, and enlisted her best test pilot to fly the craft and chart courses when she was busy helping with the mission. With all of her heart, Asami truly wanted to help Tenzin find all the people he possibly could to rebuild the air nation, they had shown her great generosity when she was at her lowest and wanted to reciprocate, but deep down, the showoff in her couldn't help but also hope that the gesture would also impress Korra too.

After the destruction of downtown, with Korra's coordination and her own resources, Asami sent airships out to all the other nations to purchase food and clothing to bring back to the struggling citizens of Republic City. When the situation stabilized, she underwrote many charities' relief efforts that continued the Avatar's emergency aid by providing money and transportation of supplies. During the initial days of digging out after the battle for the city, she donated the use of Future Industries' heavy equipment, and now that reconstruction of the city had officially begun, Asami's contracting jobs hired workers temporarily displaced by the destruction to help clear rubble and begin construction projects.

Over the past three years, she did much to redeem not only the Sato name but also the brand of Future Industries with her philanthropy. Asami did all those things though, because she _wanted_ to, not because of an ulterior motive or a feeling of obligation, and for all his mistakes, she was sure her father would have done exactly the same thing.

She allowed Mako and Bolin's extended family to stay at her house after the destruction of the lower ring of Ba Sing Se where their home was located, and later, in a further act of generous tolerance, Prince Wu when in hiding from Kuvira's agents.

Usually company was like fish, after three days it began to stink, but she had all that room, was constantly working, and it would be a selfish waste to not share what was basically an empty home with people who genuinely needed help.

When she got to the point when she could return with regularity, it took some time to adjust to so many people in one place at once _and_ their many individual quirks, but soon Asami fell in love with the entire clan, especially Yin, the elderly matriarch, and her imaginative wisdom.

Growing up, Asami didn't have a large family, it was only she, her father and mother, then later just she, her father, and her caretaker, Zin, so out of all the things Asami missed, a sense of family was one of the things she felt the most deprived of. Though they weren't blood, suddenly Asami had a sweet grandmother and a host of unpredictable, eccentric, but loveable cousins, brothers, and sisters to fill the void and aid Korra in her never-ending mission to empty the icebox.

Time gave her a chance to get to know him a little better, and seeing what kind of man he _really_ was under all the posturing, Asami had even developed affection for Wu, and though she felt a _little_ guilt for enjoying it so much, watching grandma Yin slap the crap out of Mako's arm for some trespass against the prince real _or_ imagined, was simply icing on the double-decker varricake.

There was _one_ problem in paradise however, and Asami wondered how she was going to address it without offending anyone.

Yin put a stop to the midnight skinny-dipping in the pool with a rolled newspaper and mild body shaming, but Asami knew she would soon have to have a talk with the family about culling the large flock of chickens that currently roamed the grounds freely. Granted, the free eggs were nice, but the downsides outweighed the one benefit as they pooped on _everything_ , and were loud too, in particular, the large, territorial rooster Yin named Basan, which had taken to crowing at five in the morning _on the dot._

Added to that offense, the aggressive chicken chased her in the mornings from the utility room door to her car when she left for work, and enthusiastically greeted her in the evenings when she returned home with another pecking pursuit back into the house from the garage.

She tolerated its bad behavior for a time, but hospitality only goes so far, and when the emboldened rooster flapped in her face and scratched her arms with its talons, Asami managed to get her hands on a broom and knocked a good handful of long, ruddy feathers clean off its rear.

After that, it steered clear of her for awhile, but some time later, Basan fluttered onto a shelf and knocked a full, open can of yellow paint onto the exposed engine of a racecar she and her best test driver were working on, allowing the thick liquid to pour into the air intake. In just a few seconds, an animal with a brain smaller than the size of a lychee pit ruined all the hard work they did for six months, and set their official debut on the circuit all the way back to next season.

In his fury, Bao Zheng had the rooster pinned in between the lubester and drill press, _begging_ her for permission to put it in the ground, but Asami wouldn't allow him to deliver the coup de grâce though, she didn't have the heart to see it killed because it _was_ a living creature, and Yin loved the nasty thing for some inconceivable reason.

That being said, the hateful rooster had already _ruined_ the paint on two of her favorite cars by scratching and pecking the hood, trunk, as well as the side panels, and her patience was well past wearing thin.

Prince Wu, who for some _inexplicable_ reason was an authority on the behavioral patterns of chickens, told her that the rooster was attacking her because it saw the garage as its territory, and attacking her cars because it saw its reflection in the panels and thought it was a rival to fight.

Having little concern for the instinctual drives of barnyard fowl, but heeding his suggestion, Asami started covering all her vehicles with canvas tarps, but in the end it only made things worse. The stupid hens came in from outside and burrowed under the covers to nest because they were safer, and Basan became even more unmanageable because he was defending not only _his_ territory now, but also his harem of mates.

What was done was done and the damage _could_ be repaired, but the engineer swore that if those stinking chickens so much as looked wrong at the _blue_ car, she was going to fry that damn rooster _and_ all of his girlfriends either breaded in a pan or with an Equalist glove.

Two: She wasn't _quite_ a criminal.

Asami wasn't exactly proud of it, but she was no stranger to the back of a black and gold, and though she didn't have an _official_ record, she _had_ been arrested and placed in lockup a few times.

Barely sixteen and naive as could be, she was arrested during rush week at her alma mater, the University of Earth Kingdom, Omashu. Technically it didn't count because it wasn't _her_ bottle of beer, and the only thing she was truly guilty of was being an unthinking fool for allowing her slutty dorm mate force it into her hand to hold while she jumped into the fountain in the quad during the wet tunic contest.

When they came to bail her out of the slammer, thank goodness her father believed her, and that Zin knew the district court judge and spoke of her character or she _really_ would have been up crap creek without a paddle.

The one of the later instances of her coming into the notice of law enforcement was during her fledgling days as a member of Team Avatar as a guest of Councilman Tarrlock in the iron bar spa during the Equalist scare. Eventually all charges _wrongfully_ levied against her in Republic City were expunged from her record thanks to one of the lawyers she kept on retainer and the diligence of Chief Beifong.

During the same period, Asami also found she had several outstanding parking tickets with graduating fines she was unaware of because Mako burned them, _and_ a lamppost to replace thanks to Korra's first of many _creative_ parking jobs.

After a summons to court for damaging city property and a one hundred Yuan fine for failure to appear, a seventy five Yuan payment for all the tickets, another ten Yuan clerical fee for processing, and another six hundred and fifty yuans to the city for the replacement post and its installation, those debts were paid in full.

Asami figured she should count her blessings because though she had no reason to, the day of her hearing, Chief Beifong saved her behind a second time, and went to the judge speaking on her behalf, pleading clemency on the serious charges after an explanation of her intimate involvement in helping bring down the Equalist movement. If Lin hadn't, by all rights, the judge could have thrown her in jail for not appearing in court the first time.

Asami knew nothing about _this_ until several weeks after the incident, but it didn't hurt that the judge's son was Tahno, a member of the wolf-bats pro-bending team.

A couple of days before her appearance in court, Avatar Korra went to his honor's house and restored his son's bending, making a point to slip into their conversation early on that Asami Sato was a close, _personal_ friend of hers.

A couple years after that, Team Avatar was wanted on trumped up charges for kidnapping in the Earth Kingdom and were captured, but she and Korra escaped and Queen Hou-Ting was murdered before she was tried for aiding the Avatar abduct citizens who idealistically, were free to begin with.

After the Order of the Red Lotus _liberated_ Ba Sing Se, all government records were destroyed when rioters firebombed the courthouse after everything of value had been looted; and Asami could only assume that the records of her "crimes" along with the rest of Team Avatar's were violently expunged along with all the others.

To date, no law agency from Earth Kingdom had come looking for her, Korra, or any of the others yet, but if worse came to worse, they might be able to convince Prince Wu to grant them all pardons before he stepped down.

It was not to say that she wasn't mischievous on occasion, but as she liked to say, one should never be afraid to mix it up sometimes, besides, the secondary education taught by her guardian Zin in insalubrious knowledge came in quite useful during many of Team Avatar's questionable adventures.

Asami helped save their collective rear ends more than once in the form of lock picking, brawling, and the subtle art of underhanded negotiations with the more unsavory individuals they met along the course of their adventures by way of what her secretary affectionately called _the three B's_.

Bargaining, Bribing, or when the situation dictated, Beating, as in the snot out of them, in self-defense _of course_ , because anything _else_ according to Zin, would be unladylike.

Korra was beginning to pay a little more attention to her proclivities towards the illicit now that they were closer, but since she was old enough to walk; Miss Sato had an itch for mischief she hid rather well, but just _had_ to scratch every now and then. The framed Earth Kingdom wanted posters featuring she, Korra, Bolin, and Mako hanging on her office wall in a highly visible place of honor behind the desk testified to the fact, but as far as her few offences went, Asami hadn't committed _near_ as much crime as she was capable of.

With the exception of the brew thing, and charges levied against her consisting of grand vehicle theft, speed competition, driving without a license, not wearing a seat belt, and _one_ moving violation when she was twelve years old, all the legal entanglements she had gotten into _after_ the ripe old age of eighteen were courtesy of her association with the Avatar.

Since the vehicle was property of Future Industries Incorporated, at least her father had been kind enough to not pursue the vehicle theft charge, and hired a lawyer on her behalf for all the others she faced. She didn't appreciate it until she was older and understood the full ramifications of her actions, but her arresting officer Lin Beifong, plead leniency in that matter too, and thankfully, the judge presiding over her case had a daughter her age and a rather good sense of humor too, therefore deigned to show her mercy.

Anyway, if _anything_ could be said of their friendship turned something even _better_ , at least life wasn't dull with her lovely Korra around.

If you were in the presence of Avatar Korra and bored, you were clinically dead.

At least Tonraq and Senna wouldn't have to worry about their daughter sliding around with a hardened convict, only what Korra herself playfully suggested after one of their dates in between sweet kisses goodbye, that she _was_ a diabolical genius, but with only the _best_ of intentions.

Three: She was patient

Granted, Asami loved Korra very much, but still, _no_ relationship is perfect, and whenever one is attached to another through friendship, romance, or both, it is with a clear understanding that not everything is going to be in balance _all_ of the time. It would be unrealistic to expect not to have tiffs and disagreements every now and then, those were fine, just as long as done with respect, and they made up in the end.

Asami _knew_ she was not perfect and that she did things that drove Korra completely nuts, and mystifying and wonderful as she was, Korra was _perfectly_ capable of being Korra too; therefore, she could be stubborn as a stoned ox rhino.

Therefore, given their multitude of gifts, there were many opportunities for delightful disagreements they hadn't had yet while still basking in the honeymoon period of the admission of their feelings for one another.

They did _lightly_ mix it up after Korra's return from earth kingdom after waiting for _three long years_ of absence to see her, but they quickly made up through the camaraderie of battle, and they'd be fine if that was the worst they could dish out to one another.

Probably wasn't by _any_ stretch of the imagination, but now that they were romantically involved, the promise of making up after arguments was an added perk to their newfound relationship dynamic, so perhaps disagreements could be proactive, and weren't so bad after all.

The only thing about Korra that might give Asami pause was that she gave her poor, helpless cars unflinching hell, but that was completely her fault because she allowed her to get in behind the wheels of them in the first place.

At first, it was a clever way to get Korra to herself for a little while under the pretense of teaching her how to drive, but as time progressed, Asami knew the Avatar had a driver buried deep within her _somewhere_ , and now it had become a project for the engineer to find and instruct her.

An achingly slow, _expensive_ project punctuated by fleeting moments of sheer terror, or in other words, the perfect date.

If collateral damage to her property was the worst she had to deal with though, Asami could reconcile and live with that.

Hell, when Korra first set foot within the limits of Republic City, she'd been in town less than an hour, and with the help of Naga, managed to create a chain reaction of wrecks without even being behind the wheel of a car.

Now _that_ was some _talent_.

All jokes aside though, as far as Asami was concerned, Korra could systematically destroy every car, plane, and dirigible in the Future Industries fleet, even the freakin' forklifts, just as long as she stayed with her.

Coming from an oil smeared, gasoline snorting, gear-obsessed motorhead like her, if _that_ was not true love, Asami Sato honestly did not know _what_ was. If anything, she could appreciate the irony, because it was painfully evident that the love of her life was the textbook definition of collateral damage and she firmly believed that given enough time, Korra could destroy an anvil with a _toothpick_.

However, Korra's inadvertent destructiveness _could_ be beneficial with the correct spin.

After Korra hit a power pole with her favorite vehicle, and then she finished the job of demolishing _herself_ by crashing it head on into a mech suit, Asami gave measured thought to scrapping the speedster coupe she stole from a company garage during the infancy of the _new_ Team Avatar.

After Korra's victory, she was so angry with her father for his involvement with the Equalists, and his attack on her, despite the sentimental attachment, Asami wanted to destroy the car like her father had tried to her.

All emotional entanglements aside, from a mechanical standpoint, Asami thought the mangled metal was irreparable anyway. When she tore the vehicle down for a better look, she found that even the _drive shaft_ was bent, but after giving it a reprieve from the crusher, and letting it sit in a warehouse leaking like a roasted sieve for the better part of two years, Asami was rather glad she didn't haul the first car she ever helped build with her dad to the junkyard. The idea bordering on sacrilege, how she could have even _considered_ such was beyond her now, because before she stole the convertible from her father the first and then second time, it belonged to her mother _first_ , one of the many extravagant presents given for what would be the last birthday Yasuko Sato would ever celebrate.

Besides, how many people could say they actually helped to build a car when they were only five years old?

When she finally forced the body off the chassis, repairing the bodywork wasn't all that hard, and always tinkering and improving her designs, it gave Asami a chance to put an all-new, redesigned grille on the front. While she was at it, Asami decided to indulge her lead foot, and modify the engine with an even _bigger_ , more powerful one, a new straight eight as opposed to the old six cylinder all Satomobiles used back in the day.

While trying new things, Asami painted the car a color she never would have considered before. Granted, she would _always_ be a fire nation red, gold, and black kind of girl, but her decision to repaint the car dark blue and trim it with stainless steel had grown on her.

Besides, after the gossip circle at her favorite service station and its owner, Red, said that the car was a total loss, and that there was no way that even _she_ could repair it, Asami knew a challenge when she heard it, and was determined to prove them all wrong.

After receiving good natured teasing from the boys, and then accepting a _modest_ wager made between them based on her level of success, Asami found that the car was the best therapy from the parts house money could buy, and much cheaper than a fifty Yuan an hour shrink or a self-destructive drinking problem.

Working on the abused vehicle cleared her mind of stress after a hard day of office work, and as an added benefit, it helped Asami sort through her feelings for Korra, tweezing the full extent of them out during the many late nights and weekends she spent repairing the car.

The looks of astonishment from her friends when she pulled the vehicle into the filling station a year later was satisfying, but Asami relished the thrill of collecting a chilled bottle of RepubliCola and a bag of fire gummies from Red; and then a shiny copper piece from each of the rest of the gang to boot. Restoring her mother's car made the months of painstaking labor was recompense in itself, but winning the outrageous bet made the endeavor _completely_ worth it.

Four: She had stability

There was no doubt whatsoever that Korra and her parents were proud people, and thankfully their fortunes improved considerably since Tonraq's name was exonerated and he was elected chief of the southern water tribe. Their opinions were always respected in the tribe, but now, despite their newly acquired status and newfound wealth, Korra's mother and father remained unfailingly humble and _never_ judged people by what they had in terms of riches, but on the merits of their honesty, honor, and how they comported themselves.

Asami didn't like to boast, but Future Industries was doing extremely well now, and its above board partnership with Varrick's assets served to make her only wealthier. Despite the lean red years of her early stewardship of her company, Asami persevered, and now she was worth _millions_ of yuans, and that didn't even include the net value of her stock, factories, and the contracting jobs rebuilding Republic City's infrastructure done by her subdivision companies. In addition to those successes, Future Industries had grown so much that she was in the process of the next step in developing the company by taking it outside the United Republic, Earth Kingdom was first, but someday, Asami hoped to go global.

At any rate, if things kept going the way they were, she'd be the world's first female billionaire.

Spirits knew it was much too early to really think about such, but if their relationship turned out to be the lifetime arrangement she desired, Asami was sure she could provide for all of Korra's needs, and support her comfortably for the rest of her life, which whether any parent wanted to admit or not, was a concern.

On the other hand, her mental stability could be negotiable at times.

Genius is touched by madness as Korra often gleefully chortled after catching her talking to herself about compression ratios in the office or ranting about business dealings in the garage.

Asami would always counter Korra's benign teasing by telling her that the only thing that she could drive with any success was her up the wall, so they were comparatively even.

If she could tolerate Korra's peccadilloes, and by golly she _had_ 'em, then surely Korra could forgive hers.

Five: She was loyal

Asami was the keeper of Korra's secrets, would never divulge them, and as long as Asami had known her, in one way or another, she kept that unspoken vow to her friend faithfully.

Well, there was that _one_ time after she returned to Republic City, but still, _that_ was an accidental slip-up, and it would have come out eventually.

The hardest thing she ever did in her life, during the Equalist drama, she chose the Avatar and her new friends above the last living member of her family, her father, turning against him to save them.

True, it was the right thing to do, her father _was_ in the wrong, and though he asked her to choose sides, there was no way that Asami could possibly betray the first people who became the first true friends she ever had to Amon for cruel torture, their bending stolen from them, or _worse_.

With the exception of one person, Korra, Mako, and Bolin were the first people she'd ever known who actually cared about and genuinely liked _her_ instead of what she had, who she knew, or what she could do for them.

During that whole mess, with his consent no less, Korra had even stolen her boyfriend from her, but Asami never held it against her personally. From experience, Asami learned that sometimes, powerful attractions waned, and that people fell in love and out just as easily. It was okay that Mako didn't want to be with her anymore, and he would have been free to go with her blessing, she just wished he had handled it better, that was all.

Though Mako made his choice, a lesser woman would nurse a grudge and attempt to murder Korra for her trespass, like her fruitcake cousin Esca mistakenly did over Bolin, but oddly enough, it was after their _little_ adventure in the south that her feelings towards Korra began growing into more than just friendship.

It was that, or maybe she'd begun realizing what was already there buried deep within, but growing like a spirit vine through her heart, snaking unerringly forward to eventually ensnare her very soul.

From the very first time she ever met her, perched on Mako's arm no less, Asami was drawn to Korra and couldn't keep a smile from her lips or her eyes off her as she studied the curious young Avatar all evening.

Though they didn't know each other until that night, there was something familiar and comfortable about Korra that she liked from the moment they met. At first, Korra didn't like her at all, and made no bones about it either, but with subsequent meetings over the course of getting to know one another better, to her surprise and relief, Asami found that Korra had grown to like her too, at least enough to be friends.

Later, after ' _Mako blows it with both Asami_ _ **and**_ _Korra: part two'_ , they'd even bonded over their mutual failed romances with the fire bender for spirits sake.

Asami didn't realize until years later why she was so taken with Korra, even way back then, but now that she did, honestly, she couldn't imagine loving anyone else.

After the defeat of her uncle and the dark spirit Vaatu, during the all too brief good patch Korra was having, they grew closer over the time they spent looking for new airbenders. With some favorable interactions together that hinted at something deeper than feelings of friendship, Asami decided it was time to gradually begin testing her boundaries to see how Korra reacted.

Of course, besides the two of them breaking up with Mako more than once, another thing she and Korra could bond over was the fact that nothing good in _either_ of their lives lasted for long, and a new threat loomed as the Avatar faced the Order of the Red Lotus, nearly losing her life in the process.

Asami had never been vengeful or mean-spirited, and though Kuvira had killed her father, tried to kill her and even Korra more than once too, after searching her heart after the events, yes, there _was_ anger there, but all she mostly felt for the Great Uniter lately was a great swell of pity.

If she had directed her drive into something meaningful and controlled her own hubris, Kuvira could have helped shape the world into a better place, but instead she went mad with power, and now all she ruled was a jail cell, another talented, but misguided soul consumed by her faceless demons and wasted, just like her father was by his.

Zaheer on the other hand, tried to present the façade of being enlightened, but in truth, he was nothing more than a ruthless monster that put all of the destructive events of the past three years into motion.

In the end, the only thing Zaheer accomplished was the torture and attempted murder of an innocent girl who was barely an adult for nothing more than her existence and the outdated religious dogma that he perverted into the ridiculous belief that unhindered disorder was the true path to freedom.

Though Asami would like to place full blame on him, it wasn't _all_ Zaheer's fault, because a bigger fool made to be a sage laid the footing that he built his horrific vision upon hundreds of years before.

The air-bending master Laghima sold a horrible lie in his teachings, and only students with an inability to think for themselves, and with less sense but more cruelty than the master, would take away any lesson from him.

 _Let go your earthly tether._

 _Enter the void._

 _Empty and become wind._

A heavy toll to pay for the power of flight, a person's humanity first had to be shed before gaining the power they sought. What kind of person would have the ability to accomplish such a fruitless thing but someone as cruel and morally bankrupt as Zaheer?

Only a selfish soul could ever unlock the power of flight because to release one's earthly tether, one must not have fear, and a person who fears nothing loves nothing, certainly no one, and from what Asami experienced personally, someone who lost their ability to love truly is lost.

The heartless bald bastard certainly demonstrated _his_ quality and the true face of his beliefs as he laughed while Korra laid in her distraught father's arms dying in misery in the Avatar state, while she and everyone else in attendance could do nothing but helplessly watch while praying for a miracle.

In the end, the culmination of Zaheer's madness failed thanks to the quick actions of Jinora, and Su, with three of his staunchest followers dead and unable to help him harm anyone else ever again.

As for _him_ , he currently resided in the bowels of a mountain stronghold alone, his _freedom_ dictated by the length of the chains he was _tethered_ to as he floated above the floor of a cavernous, dimly lit cell, punishment truly worthy of the crimes he committed.

Even though Korra said he helped her regain entrance into the spirit world and reconnect with Raava, Zaheer was devoid of any redeeming quality in _her_ eyes and after all the suffering he inflicted in the world both directly _and_ indirectly, Asami didn't care if he _rotted_ there.

After Su removed the mercury from Korra's body, she and her navigator charted the shortest path to the southern water tribe and Katara. Flying full speed ahead, Korra suffered many fractures and was in and out of consciousness so frequently that she couldn't heal anyone, let alone herself. Kya's condition wasn't much better, but somehow she managed to summon the strength to stabilize Korra, herself, and her brother long enough to make it to their destination, Lin nursing her while she and Tonraq tended Korra, and Tenzin cared for Bumi.

After the group's return to Air Temple Island, during the first two weeks of Korra's recovery, Asami did everything she could to help Pema care for everyone while still recuperating. Lin couldn't help as much as she wanted because of her job, and with Kya and Bumi's serious injuries still healing, and the airship she sent south still traveling with Senna so she could be with her daughter, Asami didn't mind taking up the slack in the meantime. It seemed Korra would ask for her more often than she would the others, but that was okay. She understood that neither Tonraq _or_ Korra wanted him to tend to some of her more personal needs, and Asami was so grateful her friend was even alive, nothing was too much to ask, all she wanted was to be by her side and help her get better.

It was a day after Jinora's master ceremony when the Avatar felt well enough to travel, and Asami was prepared to forsake everything, offering to go to the southern water tribe to help with her continued treatment.

She would be lying if she said it didn't hurt when Korra said she was only going to be gone a couple of weeks, and that having some time alone would be good for her.

From the lack of measurable progress in her recovery, and the broken look in Korra's lifeless, defeated eyes, Asami knew what she said was a lie, and when everyone was on the dock saying their goodbyes, instinct told her to ignore the Avatar's protests and simply leave with her, wearing just the clothes on her back.

A month later with no replies from her letters, Asami wished she heeded her gut feelings, and was tempted to drop everything, pack a bag, and go help take care of her friend regardless.

When Asami mentioned such to Zin, asking if she would serve as proxy during her absence as she did while gone looking for new airbenders, her secretary said she understood why she felt the need to go.

As a wise advisor and true friend though, Zin told Asami the truth when she didn't want to hear it, but needed to.

With more kindness than her father or even mother probably would have, Zin impressed upon Asami her many responsibilities. She had a business to run that could not be neglected for a long period of time, which she'd stretched the limits of with her trip to the Earth Kingdom and the side adventures that the trip spawned.

Zin dutifully reminded Asami that not only did she have stockholders she was beholden to, but also thousands of employees who depended on Future Industries for _their_ livelihood and it was her responsibility to provide stability for not only herself, but them as well, and drove home the importance of her being present at meetings.

Zin told Asami that if she left again, there were people on the board of directors who would see another vacancy as weakness and seize it as an opportunity to take control, and they tested the waters of such the last time she was gone. Future Industries had recovered was in the black and _Asami Sato_ was the reason why, that the company was her future, and she needed to safeguard and build upon it for not only herself, but for future generations of the Sato family as well.

Even then, Asami had a protest and what she saw as excellent arguments on her lips, but Zin would not allow her to get a word in edgewise. With little tact, Zin told her that the Avatar was a grown woman, and knew both what she was doing _and_ wanted, and further stated that since she cared for Korra, _as a friend_ , that it also meant, like it or not, that she had to respect the Avatar's wishes, even though she desperately wanted otherwise.

Hating to admit that Zin was correct, grudgingly, she heeded her advice and never went to the southern water tribe to help care for her, but during Korra's recovery of a few weeks that turned into much longer; she did write letters to her religiously. Her correspondence was full to brimming with tales as to what was going on in Republic City and how things were not the same without her around, which in hindsight probably depressed Korra even more, and about contracts that her bids won for reconstructing buildings and upgrading the town's infrastructure.

She knew that stories about redesigning the streets of Republic City around spirit vines, and data on how long it took for concrete in bridge abutments to cure before they could bear traffic was bound to be boring, but she didn't dare put to paper what she _really_ wanted to say to Korra, or rather, she didn't dare mail it.

Asami couldn't begin to tally how much stationary she'd wasted by throwing it away in the form of letters that poured out the love, and at times, desperate longing she felt for Korra while she was gone. Thank the spirits the Avatar never had a chance to read any of those, _or_ the overlong confession letter she never sent, but tore up and threw away too.

Through the heartbreak and worry though, Asami learned an important lesson as to what true maturity was, and it wasn't paying the bills on time, never being late, or neatly making your bed in the morning either.

True maturity in Asami's eyes, was the ability to silence one's own will, and to put the needs of others before their own.

Korra was ill, and her recovery slow, what she needed was cheerful encouragement and happy news in order to make her want to get better and return, not her _own_ emotional baggage dumped on top of her friend's problems too.

Besides, at the time, Asami _knew_ there was _no way_ Korra would _ever_ be interested in her like that, and with the passage of time, she convinced herself that the signs she thought she saw in her were only the sentiments of a close friend and nothing more. Asami was ecstatic that they were friends, wonderful friends, but crestfallen that was _all_ that they were ever going to have, so she would just have to make peace with it.

What with everything going on, and the fact that it was one sided, Asami couldn't possibly risk their beautiful friendship by telling Korra that she'd fallen in love with her.

Why, the very idea was absurd.

Later, after years long silence, she began receiving letters back from Korra, explaining everything she'd been through, and then Asami could understand why she hadn't written so much as a word in the time she'd been gone, or made any attempt to return.

Tears flowed as her headstrong fighter spared no detail describing the pain she'd suffered, her nightmares and day terrors which were worse than the searing physical pain, and the terrible fear Korra had that she would never fully recover.

The most poignant aspect of the letter was the regret she felt because of how she lashed out at the people who were trying to help her most.

Always the strongest of them, Korra tried to handle defeat and what she felt were her shortcomings by either isolating herself or putting on an act of bravado, but if Korra admitted that much to her of her own volition, Asami could only speculate upon the true depths of utter misery the Avatar felt at losing her physical strength, independence, and her very identity.

Though her sufferings paled in comparison with those of the Avatar, Asami _could_ understand in some small way, because from her own life experiences with loss through no misdeed of her own, she had context for those feelings of helplessness too.

How Korra bore the turmoil in her mind, pain of her body, doubt in herself, and the uncertainty of her future with such dignity, Asami couldn't begin to fathom, and spirits help her, it made her admire and love the woman even more if that were possible.

In her mail, Korra asked her not to tell either Mako or Bolin she had only written her back and Asami kept that confidence because she was her friend, but there was _more_ to it than that.

Korra chose her to write back to, not Bolin, not Mako, _her_ , and she did not use her trademark façade of toughness to shade her fragility during recovery. Instead, the most powerful, influential human being in the world, the Avatar, granted Asami the honor of being inside her thoughts, see her emotions at their most raw, her will at its weakest, shared the pain she felt with her, both physical and emotional, and it made the engineer feel pain too, because she loved her.

Korra told _none_ of these things to her mentor Tenzin, or the brothers; because Korra said it was easier to speak to her about such things.

In a way, Asami felt it was selfish on her part to keep the secret, and definitely unfair to Mako and Bolin because they'd given Korra much too, but it also made her feel special to be chosen from all the others to be Korra's confidant.

Just as soon as they started though, the letters suddenly stopped, but Asami was overjoyed as to why, there was no need for Korra to write her anymore because she was coming home.

Home to Tenzin, Pema, the kids, Bumi, Kya, Lin, Bolin, Mako…..

To her.

Korra was the reason why they all met, and the glue that bound them all together. Since Korra had been gone, they all slowly drifted apart as they became immersed in their own lives, nearly becoming strangers once more.

Bolin, one of the wisest men she had ever known, said success meant nothing if it couldn't be shared with those you loved, he was right after all, and Asami just knew that when Korra returned they could all _finally_ be one big happy family again because she had missed it so much.

When the boat from the southern water tribe arrived, Asami could scarcely believe when Naga came running out of the cargo hold towards the kids and in one motion rolled over on her back whining for a belly rub. It took everything she had not to rush forward past everyone and look for Korra as her father disembarked the ship.

Patiently waiting with everyone else, searching beside and behind Tonraq for Korra as everyone else did, when Tenzin asked the chief where his daughter was, Asami's insides sank.

When Tonraq informed them that he'd been receiving communication from Korra, supposedly from Republic City all along, everyone was still worried sick, but found a measure of relief in the theory that Korra's disappearance was by her own design and not orchestrated by sinister parties. After the initial shock, Beifong hid her worry well when she offered to use her connections with other nation police forces to ask those agencies to keep a lookout for the Avatar.

Since President Raiko's only concern with Korra's disappearance that evening was within his own welfare and the scope of the Kuvira problem, he left soon after; his wife and Prince Wu in tow and with much discussion amongst themselves late into the evening, Master Tenzin and the rest were still taken aback, shocked, and hurt by what Korra did.

Asami felt hurt too, but the strange thing was that unlike the others, she wasn't surprised at the turn in events in the least.

Like a toddler with a fresh diaper and an overwhelming sense of confidence that she wouldn't shit her pants _ever_ again, Asami figured that since Korra was on the mend, she felt it was perfectly fine to disappear like one of Meelo's farts in the wind, to where only the spirits knew.

The next day, Chief Beifong took Korra's last letter to her parents to a friend in the postal service to inspect, and he determined that it originated in Earth Empire, most likely from one of the smaller cities. It made sense for Korra to gravitate towards places such as those, lying low in locations with a small population would mean she would stand less chance of being recognized.

With the knowledge of a general locality as a lead, Asami drove as Korra might, pointing the car towards home, not really driving it. When she got there, someone on Air Temple Island must have ratted her out, _probably_ Tenzin, because when she arrived none of Bolin and Mako's family was in sight, only her secretary patiently awaiting her arrival in front of the house.

Not even acknowledging her presence as she barreled past her and up the steps to the master bedroom, Zin followed, _desperately_ trying to talk sense to her all the way. Regardless of what her friend had to say about it along the way, Asami yanked a suitcase out of her closet, and began _throwing_ things into it, determined to find Korra and bring her back no matter how long it took.

During her reckless race home, Asami already decided Korra's return to Republic City could either be voluntary or done kicking and screaming, either way suited her fine. The kind of mood that she was in at the time, she rather _hoped_ the Avatar put up a little resistance. Angrier with Korra than worried for her well being at that point, when she found her, so help her spirits, Asami didn't know if she was going to hug Korra, kiss her, yell at her until her eardrums bled for being so damned stupid and stubborn; or do all three.

Zin patiently listened to her rant under her breath, watching as she angrily flung clothing into suitcases with little regard for their neatness or if any of it matched while waiting for the opportunity to speak. Seeing how emotionally invested she was in the endeavor, Zin sat her down as she did when she was a child and reasoned with her until they struck a compromise.

To that day Asami _still_ did not know how she managed to calm her down, but Zin was smooth, that much was certain. Somewhere along the way during their talk, complete with her favorite kind of cookie, Zin convinced her that it was a much better idea to allow _her_ to travel to the Earth Empire in her stead to find the Avatar and bring her back if she could.

With a calmer frame of mind and given what Zin's career was prior to being hired full-time by her father as an overqualified babysitter, she hated to admit that the alternate plan really _did_ make much better sense.

A better tracker than a shirshu, and more stubborn than Korra herself ever _dreamed_ of being, _no one_ knew the suspected terrain for search better than Zin. Though she was relatively well known in Earth Kingdom and nearly worshipped as a god for her many services to the Fire Nation, not many people in Republic City knew that once upon a time, Zin was a Kyoshi warrior and the daughter of Ty Lee, one of Princess Azula's most resourceful companions.

When old enough to train as a warrior herself, at first Zin had a rough go of it, but with the drive and work ethic that were her trademarks, as an adult she eventually rose to earn the honor of being leader of the prestigious group.

Soon enough, Grand Mistress Zin acquired a formidable reputation with her own bold exploits, just as renowned for her generous, fun loving nature along with her just mindset and abilities as a capable warrior.

After many victorious battles, successful missions, hilarious exploits, and near disastrous brushes with death of her own, Zin's name, just as her exalted mother's, became legend, and Asami adored hearing of her adventures in the form of grand, barely believable stories when she was a child at bedtime, with a few being her all time favorites.

Zin along with Lord Zuko, Commander Bumi, and their uncle Iroh, tracked down and captured a rogue dragon that was eating livestock along the edge of Earth Kingdom territory. After finishing its remaining years in a fire nation zoo, its cobwebbed skeleton was still hanging in the main gallery of the Republic City Nature, History, and Art Museum to that day.

Along with Bumi, Zin was the Kyoshi warrior who helped lead the party that tracked down and rescued the fire nation's crown prince from the south coast pirates who kidnapped him from the beaches of Ember Island when he was three years old.

Despite the endearing fact that the motley crew of pirates who abducted Iroh became attached to the little boy and treated him as a pampered mascot rather than a prisoner during his involuntary cruise, on the way back to mainland Fire Nation, Zin wound up having to protect the lives of the kidnappers from the prince's extremely angry and potentially homicidal grandmother, Lady Mai.

Asami was only five when it happened, but Zin was the Kyoshi warrior who led the mission to recover the legendary sword _Deathsong_ when stolen from the museum in Republic City while on loan from Earth Kingdom.

The first time she ever met Zin was the last day of its display, and thanks to her, Asami was delighted to have a chance to hold the weapon that so fascinated her before its return to the Cultural Ministry of Ba Sing Se by proxy of the infamous Dai Li.

Shortly before her retirement, it was Zin who conducted a one-woman search for sailors shipwrecked in the poorly mapped fire nation Sun Tropics, rescuing Commander Bumi along with several United Forces soldiers from a horde of bloodthirsty, murderous cannibals that were mere _moments_ away from extending all the men an invitation to dinner they were no position to refuse.

Though Asami was much older when she was treated to _that_ story, Zin still skirted over some details, but what she _was_ told was horrifying. Being thirteen at the time, the telling of that tale was first time that she _ever_ heard Zin Lee curse, and that was to say that that was the one time in her whole life the hell had been completely scared out of her. When Asami asked what happened to the cannibals, and if they were ever brought to justice, her caretaker simply noted the island wasn't on maps anymore because _it_ did not exist anymore before abruptly changing the subject.

Therefore, if _anyone_ could track the Avatar down anywhere on the face of the planet and bring her back alive, it was Zin, and since Korra hadn't met her yet, Zin _insisted_ for some odd reason, she could travel incognito.

After unreliable contact for a time, it took the ex-Kyoshi warrior one month, three days, and an evening to scour Earth Empire, but after exploring a small fishing village near Yi, Zin found an uncomfortably smiling photograph of Korra hanging in an old man's dockside sushi stand, her first real lead. After building a rapport with the man by buying a concoction wrapped in nori he called _Aang Rolls_ , he told her Korra left by boat, and Zin tracked her south, eventually finding her small craft in dry dock for repairs on the outskirts of a town near the east coast. Shortly after, serendipitously, Zin stumbled upon Korra, and reported her findings via an expensive long distance telephone call.

Anxious to hear the condition of the woman she loved and if she was okay, when Zin told her what Korra was up to, Asami felt she should be a bit more surprised when she found out where the sneaking little shit absconded to, but wasn't because it made perfect sense.

Rarely did Zin ever use foul language, at least in her presence, so when she said the Avatar was holed up in a small town in Earth Empire renting a room in an establishment she so eloquently described as ' _a shit hole offering hourly rates',_ Asami knew it had to be _much_ worse.

Asami almost didn't _want_ to know, but when she asked what she was doing there, Zin told her that Korra was fighting in one of those disgusting, sexist, women only, non-sanctioned, no bending barred amateur arenas.

After bouts that culminated with her more often than not, losing badly each time she stepped into the octagon, Korra healed her wounds as best she could in a filthy bathroom at the venue. Afterwards, she retired to a room rented weekly, making sure Asami understood Korra was _alone_ for some reason, to eat meager meals of stale buns, cold tea, then sleeping the rest of the night and most of the next day on a bare, questionably stained mattress, only to rise and repeat the agonizing process of self-destruction anew.

Ever the scrapper, Korra was competitive and despite her veil of confidence, sometimes felt she had something to prove, but this time Asami suspected that it was not to others this time, but to herself.

Asami could understand Korra testing her mettle in such a manner seeing her days as a pro bender, but the fact that she was getting her ass magnificently handed to her by every comer who threw her hat in the ring was a surprise, made worse by the knowledge that she was getting badly hurt during the matches as well.

Though in her letter she divulged that she could walk well again, Asami knew Korra's ego was bound to be bruised that she hadn't fully recovered, but then again, how do you tell the most powerful woman in the world that she is _not_ the most powerful woman in the world anymore?

It was Asami's fondest wish that Korra would fully recover, and she hated to think it, but if Korra couldn't, she needed to discover the truth of herself on her own, and she couldn't do that if her parents, Tenzin, the Order of the White Lotus, or she, protected her from it.

During their fifth conversation in two days of observing the Avatar, Zin asked if she wanted her to approach Korra and try to convince her to come home, but Asami said no. Asking her to wait a couple of days and observe Korra's next fights, Asami wanted to see how well she fared before she made her decision for Zin to inform the Avatar who she was, why she was there, and who sent her. Asami assumed she had time to stall because Korra's damaged boat wasn't repaired, so the Avatar was not going anywhere anytime too soon.

In the meantime, Asami did ask Zin to find a way to give Korra some money without her knowing it was from her. It was bad enough that she was putting herself through even _more_ hell on her journey willingly, but she couldn't bear the thought of Korra having to fight for money to live on while starving herself with bad food and staying in a squalid, no tell hotel room infested with Gods only knew _what_ along with it.

A full day went by without any contact from Zin, and Asami was starting to get worried, _extremely_ worried, Zin was as reliable as sure the rising sun and when she missed her scheduled check-in, Asami knew something was wrong. Just as she was about to leave the office and make preparations to fly one of her planes to her secretary's location, Zin called to tell her that she'd lost Korra, and there wasn't much hope that she'd find her so again so easily.

Expressing needless apologies for losing track of the Avatar, and offering to stay until she located Korra again, Asami asked Zin not to blame herself, that she had gone above and beyond the call of duty and to please come home, that she couldn't afford to lose her too. When she asked Zin to tell her exactly what happened though, she said it would be better for her to explain in person.

In between the time that it took Zin to return to Republic City without the Avatar, Asami struggled with the knowledge of having an idea of where Korra was for days and if she should inform the rest of the Team, Korra's parents, or Tenzin of what she learned.

She could have, perhaps she _should_ have, but ultimately Asami made the decision that Korra left without telling anyone where she was going for a reason, and did so because she had things that she needed to sort out for herself alone, both inside and out.

At times, Asami forgot that she had no claim on Korra, and that she wasn't just her best friend, or the woman she fell in love with, she was the Avatar too, belonged to the world, and that meant going on a journey both spiritually and physically as well. Korra couldn't care for the world half an Avatar, and the way Asami saw it, if Korra hadn't been kept away in the south since she was a young child, she would have been out wandering the world by herself much sooner than she had anyway.

Korra trusted her in letters to keep her confidence, her instincts were almost always right, so once more, Asami trusted the Avatar's judgment on this matter too, was loyal, and never told anyone she knew where she was, instructing Zin to do the same.

Bringing Zin to her home upon her return, after a period of rest and her favorite meal, Asami asked her to tell her what happened the last night she spent in the Earth Kingdom that she wouldn't discuss over the phone.

Zin looked at employer warily, as though she weighed the harm of telling her versus the good, but after Asami pleaded with her to tell her the truth, no matter what it was, against her better judgment, Zin opened up.

When Asami asked about the money, Zin told her that she had to bribe the arena promoter with one hundred Yuans to hand Korra the roll of bills in her hand without saying where it came from, leaving him to fabricate a plausible excuse. When Asami said it was a wonder the gambit worked so easily, Zin said he became greedy and attempted to extort another hundred Yuans out of her for his silence as well.

Though she didn't tell her how she accomplished it, Asami laughed when Zin told her he quickly changed his mind about the extra money.

It was the second half of the story that Zin was reticent to tell, and when she heard it, Asami could understand why, because it was almost as worrisome as not knowing where Korra was, and clearly it disturbed Zin to a certain extent as well.

She said that night she followed Korra from the arena to the alleyway as she did each night, she seemed to be fine with the exception of some bruising from her last fight. Korra was so distracted she was nearly struck by a speeding car, but it wasn't until she saw the Avatar turn down another dark alleyway that she became concerned, because something frightened Korra so badly she yelled into the dark emptiness in front of her and then fire bent as though attacking a foe. After seeing the state she was in, Zin stepped forward and offered to take her to a doctor, but Korra refused aid and hurriedly left before she or anyone else gathered around could press any further.

Keeping a healthy distance to avoid detection, she tried to keep up with her as best she could, but her knee prevented her from pursuing faster than a brisk walk, and the last Zin saw of Korra, was the Avatar looking down at thin air, talking to it, and then running down a gas lit street chasing after.

Asami surmised Korra spoke to a spirit. Spirits could become corporeal selectively, and make their presences known to humans or not by whim, even changing their forms; but by Korra's nature, they were drawn to the Avatar's energy, and from her own experience, she knew most spirits were friendly, even helpful, and Asami was confident that this one was probably no exception.

The next day, Zin managed to track the Avatar to the outskirts of a large swamp, but when she ventured inside, vines gathered, blocking her passage, and while looking far an alternate entrance, she _swore_ she saw her mother in full Kyoshi warrior garb along with her woodcutter father holding hands, hearing their playful laughter briefly before disappearing.

After pouring Zin a generous portion of her favorite drink, and she downed it in one burning gulp, Asami asked nothing more about her experience, simply thanking her again, kissing her cheek as she once did as a child, turning to go upstairs to prepare a bed for her friend.

Later that evening as she turned in her own bed during another restless night, she worried about Korra's mental state, wondering if she made a mistake in not having Zin bring Korra home.

In the end, it did not matter that she kept Korra's location secret because matters in the world worsened, and Tenzin sent Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo to find the Avatar and bring her back anyway.

As it turned out, the swamp was exactly where Korra needed to be to begin healing herself, because she met Toph Beifong, and with the help of the recalcitrant earth bending legend, Korra was able to free herself of the last of the mercury poison in her system, and go back into the Avatar state.

After the battle for Republic City, Asami was so glad she decided to leave well enough alone and let Korra come back on her own terms, because if she interfered, there was no way to know how differently things could have turned out, and frankly she didn't _want_ to know.

With Korra not fully recovered, they might not have defeated Kuvira, perhaps none of them would have survived, or if they did, and the dictator took Republic City, all who opposed her would be dead or left to rot in one of her prison camps as forced labor, and spirits only knew what she would have done with the Avatar.

If Kuvira's actions after Korra's defeat at the battle for Zaofu was any indicator, Asami had an idea, and the thought of it made her shudder.

Thankfully, however, none of those horrible things happened, the city was being rebuilt; Kuvira was somewhere she couldn't hurt anyone ever again, and now she knew that Korra loved her as much as she did her.

Eventually things settled down, and everyone seemed to fall back into what resembled a blissfully predictable routine. A few days after her return from their vacation to the spirit world, ever considerate of her privacy and feelings, Zin never let on that she knew her boss had fallen irretrievably in love with the Avatar until the fateful day she caught her enjoying a "working lunch" that consisted of Korra's lips and an awkward balancing act atop her desk.

Aside from Lin and Kya, who were early spotters and had _plenty_ going on between them too, Asami thought she and Korra did a good job concealing the true nature of their relationship from everyone else they knew, Zin included. They knew they would have to tell everyone about their relationship eventually, it was only fair, but after everything that happened, she and Korra wanted to enjoy one another first, and relish the fact that they didn't have anything holding them from one another any longer.

It was nice for awhile and frankly, the sneaking around and near discoveries were scandalously fun _and_ a turn on, but nothing like _this_ lasted in private forever she supposed, especially a juicy little secret such as theirs.

When her secretary uncovered their _secret_ romance, what Asami remembered from the embarrassing interaction was that Zin was cool about it, she didn't laugh or even so much as smile while backing away from the interesting spectacle.

Unable to control her mischievous side to save her life however, when Zin opened the door to depart, she _did_ point at her own rouged lips to advise the Avatar that Ms. Sato's lipstick wasn't _her_ color of red, and she might want to try something a shade darker.

After the door closed, Asami thought her face would burn off because of the fierceness of her blush, but Korra thought it was funny as hell, and Zin's unearthing of them together didn't faze her _at all_ as she barely stopped laughing long enough to happily resume their interrupted kiss.

After Zin's _snazzy_ confession later that evening that she knew she was in love with the Avatar all along, at the time, Asami wondered if it was as obvious to everyone _else_ they knew as well. She hoped not, but she supposed that since Zin helped raise her from the age of six, her nanny, protector, mentor, friend, secretary, and most valued assistant probably knew her better than she knew herself.

Sometimes when she had a quiet moment in the office, or pondered late at night in her bed, it made Asami sick thinking of how much time she and Korra could have had together that was wasted, but really, all that mattered was that they had each other _now_ , and that was more than good enough for her.

Not that she was remotely interested, but Asami had _plenty_ of offers for dates over the three years Korra was gone, some of them were eloquent, others tactless, but instead, she waited for Korra while she was off on her soul searching quest.

When she returned, it took awhile to _completely_ forgive her for it, but after she got over Korra's radio silence during her hoo doo holiday, in time Asami found that she was the happiest she'd been in years.

If nothing else, Asami felt she _aced_ the loyalty to Korra test with flying _freakin'_ colors.

Six: She loved Korra with all her heart, and would protect, defend, and support her in any way she possibly could.

Due to the nature of the role Korra played in the world and the danger she frequently found herself in, self-manufactured or not, realistically Asami wasn't sure she would always be able to protect the Avatar as she tried to in the past. She would make sure however, that Tonraq and Senna understood with all certainty that all comers would have to get through _her_ before they could begin to think of harming Korra.

Not many people knew it, thank goodness, but though her physical wounds healed, and she rid herself of the last of the Red Lotus' mercury poison, Korra still had not fully recovered psychologically from the torture she endured at the hands of the extremists.

While stroking her hair during disturbed, restless nights in the spirit world, and troubled by one horrible thing or another that happened to her beloved over the time she'd known her, Asami would watch Korra fitfully sleep, her own mind knotted with worry.

There would always be the looming peril of more enemies, dire threats to peace, but she would be delusional to think that Korra would never have to save the world from itself again. Asami understood those things and accepted them, for it was the Avatar's lot in life, but it hurt to know that she wouldn't be able to shield her from any of it, no more than she could save Korra from Amon, her own uncle, or any of the other villains her love defeated who thought they were in the right.

As she dwelled on what she had endured, and what would surely come later in life, Asami pondered just how far she would go for Korra, and what she would sacrifice for her, the inevitable answer every time was anything, she would literally do _anything_ including gladly giving her life to save hers if need be.

Asami didn't like presumption, because those who indulged it were fools, but she was sure that by now, Korra knew how much she cared for and loved her, always taking pains to assure and reassure her of that fact whenever possible.

Asami knew she had to demonstrate to Korra's parents how much she loved and respected their daughter too, she _needed_ them know that this new romantic relationship was serious, she wanted to make a life with her, and that this connection wasn't based on adolescent experimentation, or a moment of confusion that would eventually settle itself in heartbreak.

To do that, Asami felt the best option for pursuing Korra and gaining the blessing of her parents was to court her in the fashion expected by her people and the rules of their culture. Korra deserved such consideration, and frankly, Asami didn't want her decapitated head to wind up on the sharp end of that wicked looking pike of Tonraq's and displayed by the front gates of the palace either.

He had already promised that if she broke Korra's heart, and Senna jokingly said she'd allow him to do it, but Mako received the exact same warning while dating Korra, and he was still alive with his head still firmly planted on his shoulders even after all the shit he pulled.

Other people might have taken umbrage, but Asami realized that the concern for their daughter's welfare expressed with violence was a southern water tribe social tradition, the first step of the journey she longed to take; and frankly, she was overjoyed for the benign warning. In her mind it solidified the notion that she was seen as a serious suitor for Korra's romantic attention, and that her parents recognized their relationship for what it was which expedited things, conveniently forgoing the issue of the awkward, ' _Guess who's coming to dinner with a revelation so huge that it could make every owl kitten in the world explode'_ question that she had been worried about in the early days of their admissions of love for one another.

Ever the student, unfortunately Asami found there weren't any detailed books about southern water tribe culture anywhere, but she was desperate to learn, because if things went the way she hoped, she would gladly become a part of it someday.

She went to the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center, scouring their reference section for information, but it never really was much more than a tourist trap for Varrick to make money selling tacky souvenirs to begin with. After he blew it up, and the Earth Empire army finished what he started after he rebuilt, Asami all but gave up hope of finding anything useful about the southern water tribe that wasn't part of a tourist pamphlet or printed on a snack bar placemat, and the mover serial _Nuktuk, Hero of the South_ was hardly a dependable source either. She certainly couldn't ask Korra, or trouble her parents either because then they would know her intentions, and it was much too soon to divulge any of that.

Fortunately for her though, Asami knew Master Jinora, and after a private conversation about the topic with a pinky promise of confidentiality, the young air bender told her the one place where she might meet with success, and the suggestion narrowed her choice down to one when Korra asked where she wanted to go on their little retreat.

With a furrowed brow, Asami remembered the costly trip to the spirit library during hers and Korra's vacation.

It all turned out okay in the end, she learned everything she needed to know in the brief time allotted, but if she had known the unwelcome spirit they would be greeted with, she might have had second thoughts.

At first, Wan Shi Tong flatly _refused_ to allow her and Korra entrance to the spirit library, discriminating against them because they were human, and under the glowering scrutiny of the impatient, angry owl spirit, Asami would have been perfectly happy to leave and never mention returning as long as they lived.

True to plucky form however, Korra fought for her right to visit the library and guilt tripped the huge owl spirit into allowing them entrance with a highly disrespectful, unkind reminder of Unalaq and the trouble he caused before and during harmonic convergence.

As the owl scowled at them, Asami remembered looking for a close exit to pull Korra towards if they had to run for their lives as the Avatar described, sparing absolutely _no_ detail, Unalaq's misuse of the spirits, and the thoughtless aid Wan Shi Tong gave him in doing such.

As Korra's brows furrowed deeper and the irate owl's eyes got blacker if such a thing was possible, Wan Shi Tong's sharp claws scraped the stone floor leaving scratches behind as Korra illuminated his betrayal of Jinora, and then the capture _and_ near death of their sweet, innocent little friend.

Korra reminded him of Unavaatu's attempted destruction of Raava, the irreparable loss of the culminated knowledge from her past lives, and the near annihilation of both the living and spirit worlds, underlining the help the owl gave in the course of the commission of all those heinous acts by aiding the dark spirit Vaatu by proxy of her conniving uncle.

When Wan Shi Tong made the shaky argument that the events during the convergence were not of his making, Korra gouged the spirit and his self-proclaimed knowledge angrily, asking him if he knew as much as he thought he did. Korra further enraged the owl by saying he should have been more consistent with his mistrust of humans, because he wound up trusting the worst human imaginable, and if he was so all knowing, he should have seen what the Avatar so eloquently defined as, _that shit,_ coming from miles away.

Before they entered the library, Korra joked about the huge owl's bluster being more than bite, and for her not to be afraid of him.

After meeting the spirit, and witnessing the spectacle of Korra _clearly_ enjoying tearing him a new one verbally however, Asami thought the spirit looked mean enough to eat a Future Industries forklift and shit glowing hot red rivets, finding no shame whatsoever in admitting that Wan Shi Tong terrified her.

During Korra and the library spirit's unhappy conversation, for a moment, Asami wondered if he was going to rip them both to shreds and then gleefully gobble their bloody remains for her girlfriend's impertinence, especially after she noticed the green robed skeleton leaning against the bookshelves in front, its skull and jaw set in an eternal downwards scream.

After the Avatar settled down though, and the owl spirit had a moment of rare reflection over _his_ actions, over the course of a few minutes, Korra managed to broker a deal that was beneficial for all parties, all except for _her_ of course.

Wan Shi Tong deigned that they could stay in the library until dusk, but they must agree to all his demands first, and if they failed to acquiesce to any of his conditions, they could not go in the library then, or ever return again under pain of death.

Asami agreed, and so did Korra, but with much less enthusiasm, however they had no idea what they were getting into until the owl spirit set the terms.

The first part of their deal for admittance was that the engineer had to explain in detail what brakes were and how they worked. For some reason, despite his purported hatred of the "garbage" invented by human beings, Wan Shi Tong was intensely interested in the technological advances of the mortal world, and the task was simple enough, being one of the first things she learned about from her father.

Even though she wasn't asked as part of their agreement, Asami sweetened the pot by drawing a technical schematic of them as a gift for the overbearing owl spirit to add to his collection, hoping the gesture would somehow ingratiate themselves in his eyes, and make him forget Korra's initial rough handling.

The second part of the deal was that she had to give the demanding owl every scrap of paper and book in her backpack.

Asami was fine with giving the spirit an engineering magazine and the free road map featuring the United Republic she received with her last fill up at Red's, but she _was_ reticent to relinquish the copies for technical manuals that contained the schematics for the new project she was close to putting into mass production.

Forced into it by agreement, Asami made quick peace in parting with them, figuring that the hateful old buzzard would guard her secrets more closely than any nation's patent offices ever thought of doing.

Forgetting she had it with her, the last book Asami gave was with regret, a deep red blush, and no recourse, but at least there was the saving grace that Korra didn't know she had it with her, much less read it.

A _few_ times, actually.

If her girlfriend did, she would have found the educational book their mutual friend lent her in the spirit of helping her, when the time was right, to move along in this new and _unexplored_ facet of her life, rather interesting.

When he took possession of it, Wan Shi Tong was so surprised at the content of the hard-bound first edition volume himself, the irritable old owl actually forgot to look hateful for a moment, and at the time, Asami thought his black eyes would be even _wider_ if he took the time to actually read the instructive tome.

One thing was for certain, if he _did_ , he'd know a hell of a lot more than ten thousand things _and_ how to do them by the time he was done.

Asami felt guilty because the book didn't belong to her, and she hadn't seen their mutual friend in the time since their return from the spirit world, and she had _no idea_ how she was going to explain the embarrassing fact that her interesting volume was now lost to Wan Shi Tong's spirit library. She was a kind, gentle soul though, and surely, if she explained what happened, that she had no choice in the matter, and either found a replacement or gave her the money for one, she'd be forgiven.

Being older and probably much more experienced in such matters, surely she didn't need the book for its intended purpose anymore.

The third, and worst part of the deal, was that Korra had to swallow her pride, apologize to the difficult owl, and then contribute to the spirit library herself.

 _Grudgingly_ , Korra apologized to Wan Shi Tong, but only for _her_ sake, and then said she didn't have anything that she thought the spirit would find suitable for addition to his library.

Really, the Avatar was just holding out.

First, Korra took a bit of string and tied a rather nice looking knot in the shape of a butterfly with it, offering it to the spirit in the palm of her hand with a wide grin saying that it _represented_ knowledge. Wan Shi Tong simply refused it, saying that another member of the southern water tribe did that years before, and then betrayed his trust.

Then the spiteful spirit then called into question Korra's intelligence by saying she wasn't too bright.

Ignoring the personal insult, Korra put her arm around her shoulder, while _generously_ offering to demonstrate to Wan Shi Tong how human beings expressed affection by kissing, with her being her partner in the example.

Wan Shi Tong was as impressed by that offer as the last, which was very little, and as the ancient spirit glared at the Avatar after her playful wink at him, even Asami had to roll her eyes at Korra's self-serving _contribution_ as well.

Finally, under the stern, black-eyed stare of the spirit and the threat of revocation of what he seemed to feel was an unusually generous offer; Korra reluctantly reached into her backpack and produced the last condition of their entry, all the books in _her_ backpack.

Asami thought that as aged as Wan Shi Tong was, he was immature, mean-spirited, and ought to be ashamed for being so parsimonious and self-centered.

Rather than a sage spirit dedicated to the betterment of those seeking knowledge for its own sake, the rotten owl acted more like an elderly, constipated, bitter old curmudgeon who enjoyed yelling at children he found playing on his lawn without permission.

Korra didn't own many material things, and seldom did she ever purchase items other than food for her own personal enjoyment. From time to time Korra splurged on mild profanity and had to reluctantly place yuans in Pema's swear jar as penalty for such, but more often than not, when Korra got her hands on a little money, she usually wound up spending it on someone else.

Whether it was buying candy to sneak to the kids behind Pema's back for fun or a favor, helping Gommu feed the vagabonds and street kids so they wouldn't go hungry, or helping some poor soul she met down on their luck, the Avatar seemed to be in a state of perpetual insolvency.

The regret was clear on Korra's face as she unenthusiastically held her offering upwards in the palms of her hands. It was the first time the vengeful spirit looked cheerful during their entire exchange as he gleefully swept his wing over every creased, dog-eared, well-worn copy of her favorite comic book, _Super-Sleuth Comics: featuring The Blue Spirit and Badgermole_ , making them disappear forever into his cavernous archives.

When he did it, Asami knew that the only reason why Wan Shi Tong wanted the comics for his library in the first place was that it was well known that Korra adored the fantasy literature, and he wanted to deny her ownership for the impishness she displayed.

After a last nasty glare at the mean old owl for taking her favorite funny books, and a final indignant warning from him not to betray his act of generosity, _or_ break anything because ' _he'd know'_ , the spirit rudely snorted as he flew away, leaving a flurry of shed plumes and the aura of disgust behind him.

Taking pity on Korra, one of the knowledge seekers whined, pawed at her leg and then took a corner of the pelt wrapped around her waist into its mouth, gently tugging her towards a section of picture books written for children. Surprised how quickly Korra became distracted reading the adventures of curious little armadillo monkeys to the knowledge seeker and a small, childlike spirit with four arms and green leaves for ears that climbed onto her lap, it was much easier than Asami anticipated to slip away and do her _own_ research uninterrupted by her girlfriend.

Amazed at the wonders a few thick slices of tiger seal jerky and a couple of loving scratches behind their ears could work, the two knowledge seekers by _her_ side couldn't help enough, and soon they escorted her straight to the section that held books about world cultures.

Finding only _one_ volume devoted entirely to the southern water tribe, it was ancient and in rough shape. Asami assumed that in between the dry heat of the Si Wong desert and the humid environment of the spirit world, both battled to claim the book as their own, wreaking serious damage in the process.

The leather spine was cracked in several places, with a split dividing the water tribe symbol stamped into it, the outer edges were torn, and a light peppering of white mold decorated the cover of the book in splotches, giving it an unpleasant, musty odor.

She was almost afraid to crack it under the watchful eyes of the knowledge seekers and the dire warning of Wan Shi Tong, but Korra gave up much for her to be there, so Asami closed her eyes and carefully opened it. Miraculously, the leaves inside held up to the pressure of their first use in what was most likely centuries, but Asami took special care because the interior was just as brittle as the covering that bound it. Turning each foxed, hand written, illuminated page, the next smelling worse than the last, the text looked as though inked with something that resembled lamp soot mixed with blood; faded by age.

As she leafed through the pages a curious item appeared sandwiched in between the leaves of the book.

The only thing inside the volume that wasn't marked by age, stink, or spots of mold, Asami thought it was a bookmark at first, but with further investigation, she found that it was an envelope.

As opposed to the ancient tome it resided in, the modern mailing enclosure was a surprise. As a further clue to its provenance, the back was sealed with a large red bead of wax bearing the seal of Fire Nation royalty, in particular, that of the Fire Lady, with of all things, a recipe for what seemed to be some kind of odd confection that called for butter, marshmallows, and rice cereal scrawled on the back in pencil.

Even if the visitor was royalty from _any_ nation, the owl spirit's prejudice towards humans would still forbid their presence, and having some knowledge of the past, though Asami hated to admit it, those feelings were not without validation.

An interesting discovery for certain, Asami wondered who in recent fire nation memory would be so bold as to despoil one of Wan Shi Tong's coveted volumes by secreting something in it, much less find a way to get away with it without him being any the wiser.

After Wan Shi Tong compelled the Si Wong Desert to swallow the spire of the spirit library after the first Team Avatar's trespass, no mortal could find the building to enter as it was again lost to the ages. It wasn't until Korra opened the spirit portals that anyone could enter the library via the spirit world, and until then as far as she knew, no other persons in known history could even visit the spirit library. The only Fire Ladies in recent history who might have access to the spirit library were Ursa, now passed, and Lord Zuko's wife, Mai who was still living, but surely she couldn't have left the item in the book could she?

Upon further study, just as strange and mysterious as the back, the front of the envelope was cryptically addressed _Protector_.

Asami felt folded paper inside, but as she held it up into the scant light filtering through the darkened aisles of bookshelves surrounding her to attempt a peek inside at the shadowed contents, one of the spirit foxes in her company leapt forward, hastily snapping the envelope from her hand, but bowing its head respectfully before spiriting it away.

Burning with curiosity, but clearly realizing the envelope was none of her concern, the other fox in her company whined while placing its chin on her knee. Asami gently scratched its head between two pert ears and focused her attention back to the book in her lap. While gently massaging the fox's ears and leafing through the last pages, she turned to one partially torn page from the book, the remaining section the drawing of a small, dark blue spirit, purple markings highlighting its face, light brush strokes perfectly capturing the ethereal nature of the ghostly entity, broken tendrils of white embracing the figure.

The next page was a hand painted illustration accompanying ancient text beside it. Asami couldn't read it, but she did recognize the stylized rendering of a polar bear dog with a tiger seal joined head to tail in a circle, decorated with the triangular design that adorned Korra's old armband and the abstract hatching she came to know as southern water tribe style.

On the opposite page, there was a rendering of Tui and La from the northern water tribe as a comparison, its shape exactly like the first drawing she saw, and after some scrutiny, Asami ascertained the arctic animals were the southern water tribe's own representation of dark and light. The observer could apply any meaning to the southern rendering, and the symbol would fit; good and evil, night and day, life and death, sun and moon, harmony and imbalance.

After making a quick sketch of the artwork in her portfolio, thinking Korra might be interested and for her own use, she scoured the book for the information she suspected, but needed to confirm.

If they became engaged, since she was seeking her family's approval for marriage, Korra would be the one to receive the betrothal necklace not her, and though she could design the token and have it made by a water tribe artisan specializing in such, tradition held that it was preferable if suitors made the token themselves. Many symbols were acceptable to be carved on the disc of the betrothal necklace, such as the traditional character of either the Southern or Northern tribes, but a suitor could also choose a mark to represent their beloved, one of their own creation, and after reading that, Asami already had an idea.

Manufacturing would not be a problem, but before she could even consider giving the joined symbol that represented the respect and love she felt for Korra, Asami learned that first, she must pass a rigorous series of trials. All suitors had to prove themselves worthy of the hand of the woman they wanted to wed, but because of Korra's already high status as not only the Avatar, but also princess and daughter to the chief of the Southern water tribe, customarily she and her family required more due. The fact that shewas an outsider did _not_ help, and Asami soon saw that she would have to do much more to prove herself worthy for her intended, especially for someone so valuable to her tribe.

After reading about the endurance trial innocuously named _Illautiwok_ , the ancient initiation custom of ice dodging was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Asami welcomed the challenge though, ever since she was a little girl, using the courtship of her beautiful mother as the example, her father always told her that anything truly worth having never came easily, and when the proper time came, Asami knew she would endure anything to make her dream reality, because Korra was infinitely worth it.

After writing down the details of the rituals while thinking of what she needed to do to prepare for each of them, obviously none of it would be easy, and hard telling how long it would take to accomplish her goal, perhaps months, possibly even _years_ when she started.

From as far as the research she'd done before going to the spirit library, according to Varrick, the ritual was old, and that no one in recent memory had undertaken the complicated rite to his knowledge. When she offhandedly mentioned the notion of doing it herself, he laughed at her, in the face actually, and _then_ had the audacity to ask _her_ if _she_ was insane, which was the pot calling the kettle black.

Flinging an arm around her, the mad entrepreneur promised he would tell no one of her plans, not even Jhu-Li, his reason being that ' _he liked being in on things and then not knowing anything about them'_ at the same time. When he said it, Asami had to consciously fight the urge to roll her eyes, but at least the colossal jackass-rabbit swore absolute silence, and from the look in his wide, excited eyes, it seemed he actually meant it this time.

The tasks set before her would be daunting, and she hoped she had the strength to succeed, but she was going to try her best, because she wanted no question in the eyes of anyone in either of the water tribes or the entire world, that her love for Korra was true, enduring, and she wanted it legitimatized.

Asami did not know how well her request was going to fly when she broached the topic with Tonraq and Senna. If the chief didn't kill her outright for her presumption as custom permitted, and her mother accepted her bid, she was certain her plan would be as popular as a screen door on a submarine when Korra found out, but the Avatar would have to do as she often suggested, and deal with it.

As the gangplank lowered from the ferry snapping her out of her thoughts, Asami stepped on it to disembark nodding her thanks. In turn, the two deckhands tipped their caps to her, walking towards the other side of the ship eventually slipping out of view, and as Korra dismounted Naga to land on the deck with both feet, she sprinted towards her with a gigantic smile decorating her face.

Asami attempted to walk with some semblance of dignity towards Korra and not make a scene, but soon she threw all pretenses out the window and took off in a run herself, meeting her girlfriend halfway, gleefully flinging herself into Korra's waiting arms, so happy to be home at last.


End file.
